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BS  535  . P44  1923 

Phelps,  William  Lyon,  1865- 

Human  nature  in  the  Bible 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/humannatureinbibOOphel 


BY  WILLIAM  LYON  PHELPS 


ESSAYS  ON  MODERN  NOVELISTS 

ESSAYS  ON  RUSSIAN  NOVELISTS 

ESSAYS  ON  MODERN  DRAMATISTS 

ESSAYS  ON  BOOKS 

TEACHING  IN  SCHOOL  AND  COLLEGE 

READING  THE  BIBLE 

BROWNING,  HOW  TO  KNOW  HIM 

THE  ADVANCE  OF  THE  ENGLISH  NOVEL 

THE  ADVANCE  OF  ENGLISH  POETRY  IN 
THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY 

ARCHIBALD  MARSHALL 

THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  THEATRE 

A  DASH  AT  THE  POLE 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  ENGLISH  RO¬ 
MANTIC  MOVEMENT 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN 
THE  BIBLE 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN 
THE  BIBLE 


BY 

WILLIAM  LYON  PHELPS 

LAMPSON  PROFESSOR  OF  ENGLISH  LITERATURE  AT  YALE 


CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  •  LONDON 
1923 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS 


Copyright,  1021,  1922,  by  the  curtis  publishing  CO. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


Published  October,  1922 


TO 

MY  FRIEND 

FRANK  BERGEN 


A  POSTSCRIPT  BY  WAY  OF  PREFACE 


I  have  done :  and  if  any  blames  me, 

Thinking  that  merely  to  touch  in  brevity 

The  topics  I  dwell  on,  were  unlawful — 

Or  worse,  that  I  trench,  with  undue  levity, 

On  the  bounds  of  the  holy  and  the  awful — 
I  praise  the  heart,  and  pity  the  head  of  him, 
And  refer  myself  to  Thee,  instead  of  him, 
Who  head  and  heart  alike  discernest, 

Looking  below  light  speech  we  utter, 
When  frothy  spume  and  frequent  sputter 
Prove  that  the  soul’s  depths  boil  in  earnest! 
May  truth  shine  out,  stand  ever  before  us ! 

— Christmas  Eve ,  by  Robert  Browning. 


INTRODUCTION 


Priests,  atheists,  sceptics,  devotees,  agnostics,  and 
evangelists  are  generally  agreed  that  the  Authorised 
Version  of  the  English  Bible  is  the  best  example 
of  English  literature  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
It  combines  the  noblest  elevations  of  thought,  aspi¬ 
ration,  imagination,  passion  and  religion  with  sim¬ 
plicity  of  diction. 

Everyone  who  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Bible  may  truly  be  called  educated;  and  no  other 
learning  or  culture,  no  matter  how  extensive  or  ele¬ 
gant,  can,  among  Europeans  and  Americans,  form 
a  proper  substitute.  Western  civilisation  is  founded 
upon  the  Bible;  our  ideas,  our  wisdom,  our  phil¬ 
osophy,  our  literature,  our  art,  our  ideals,  come 
more  from  the  Bible  than  from  all  other  books  put 
together.  It  is  a  revelation  of  divinity  and  of 
humanity;  it  contains  the  loftiest  religious  aspira¬ 
tion  along  with  a  candid  representation  of  all  that 
is  earthly,  sensual  and  devilish.  I  thoroughly  be¬ 
lieve  in  a  university  education  for  both  men  and 
women;  but  I  believe  a  knowledge  of  the  Bible 
without  a  college  course  is  more  valuable  than  a 
college  course  without  the  Bible.  For  in  the  Bible 
we  have  profound  thought  beautifully  expressed; 


IX 


X 


INTRODUCTION 


we  have  the  nature  of  boys  and  girls,  of  men  and 
women,  more  accurately  charted  than  in  the  works 
of  any  modern  novelist  or  playwright.  You  can 
learn  more  about  human  nature  by  reading  the  Bible 
than  by  living  in  New  York. 

The  Elizabethan  period— a  term  loosely  applied 
to  the  years  between  1558  and  1642 — is  properly 
regarded  as  the  most  important  era  in  English  liter¬ 
ature.  Shakespeare  and  his  mighty  contemporaries 
brought  the  drama  to  the  highest  point  in  the 
world’s  history;  lyrical  poetry  found  supreme 
expression;  Spenser’s  Faerie  Queene  was  a  unique 
performance;  Bacon’s  Essays  have  never  been  sur¬ 
passed.  But  the  crowning  achievement  of  those 
spacious  times  was  the  Authorised  Translation  of 
the  Bible,  which  appeared  in  1611.  Three  centuries 
of  English  literature  followed;  but  although  they 
have  been  crowded  with  poets  and  novelists  and 
essayists,  and  although  the  teaching  of  the  English 
language  and  literature  now  gives  employment  to 
many  earnest  men  and  women,  the  art  of  English 
composition  reached  its  climax  in  the  pages  of  the 
Bible. 

The  translators  made  more  mistakes  in  Greek 
than  they  did  in  English.  When  we  remember  that 
English  is  not  a  perfect  language,  for  as  a  means 
of  expression  it  is  inferior  to  both  Russian  and 
Polish,  it  is  marvellous  to  consider  what  that  group 
of  Elizabethan  scholars  did  with  it.  We  Anglo- 
Saxons  have  a  better  Bible  than  the  French  or  the 


INTRODUCTION 


xi 


Germans  or  the  Italians  or  the  Spanish;  our  English 
translation  is  even  better  than  the  original  Hebrew 
and  Greek.  There  is  only  one  way  to  explain  this; 
I  have  no  theory  to  account  for  the  so-called  “inspi¬ 
ration  of  the  Bible,”  but  I  am  confident  that  the 
Authorised  Version  was  inspired. 

Now  as  the  English-speaking  people  have  the 
best  Bible  in  the  world,  and  as  it  is  the  most  beau¬ 
tiful  monument  ever  erected  with  the  English  alpha¬ 
bet,  we  ought  to  make  the  most  of  it,  for  it  is  an 
incomparably  rich  inheritance,  free  to  all  who  can 
read.  This  means  that  we  ought  invariably  in  the 
church  and  on  public  occasions  to  use  the  Author¬ 
ised  Version;  all  others  are  inferior.  And,  except 
for  special  purposes,  it  should  be  used  exclusively 
in  private  reading.  Why  make  constant  companions 
of  the  second  best,  when  the  best  is  available? 

The  so-called  Revised  Version  and  modern  con¬ 
densed  versions  are  valuable  for  their  superior 
accuracy  in  individual  instances;  they  may  be  used 
as  checks  and  comments;  but  for  steady  reading, 
and  in  all  public  places  where  the  Bible  is  read 
aloud,  let  us  have  the  noble,  marbly  English  of 
1611.  I  suggest  that  one  reason  why  so  many 
people  cease  reading  the  Bible  after  childhood,  is 
because  most  copies  are  printed  in  abominably  thin 
and  small  type.  It  is  easy  to  obtain  a  Bible  in  con¬ 
venient  shape  and  weight,  printed  in  large,  black 
type,  which  pleases  the  eyes  instead  of  destroying 
them. 


Xll 


INTRODUCTION 


In  this  book  I  shall  consider  the  Old  Testament 
as  a  work  of  literature,  revealing  the  grandeur,  the 
folly,  the  nobility,  the  baseness  of  human  nature. 
I  shall  not  consider  it  primarily  as  “the  history  of 
the  Hebrew  people,”  for  the  Hebrew  people  are 
much  like  other  people,  having  the  same  passions, 
impulses,  purity,  filth,  selfishness  and  self-sacrifice 
that  dwell  side  by  side  in  the  heart  of  every  man 
and  woman  in  the  world.  I  shall  consider  it  as  I 
would  a  play,  an  essay,  a  novel,  a  poem.  The  char¬ 
acters  in  the  Bible  are  just  as  real  to  me  as  Theodore 
Roosevelt.  I  shall  therefore  point  out  and  try  to 
interpret  interesting  and  significant  episodes  and 
passages,  with  one  hope  in  the  back  of  my  mind 
all  the  time — that  those  who  read  these  pages  will 
re-read  the  Bible  with  renewed  zest. 

W.  L.  P. 

Yale  University, 

Tuesday,  22  August 9  1922. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Introduction .  v 

I.  The  Creation  and  the  Flood .  3 

II.  Four  Great  Personalities — Abraham, 

Isaac,  Jacob,  Joseph .  21 

III.  Moses  and  the  Ten  Commandments .  47 

IV.  Famous  Fighters  in  Canaan .  77 

V.  Ruth,  Eli,  Samuel,  Jonathan  and  King  Saul  ioi 

VI.  King  David .  123 

VII.  Solomon  in  all  his  Glory — the  Romantic 

Figure  of  Elijah .  151 

VIII.  The  Prophet  Elisha .  181 

IX.  Downfall  of  Israel  and  Judah — the  Pa¬ 
triotic  Stories  of  Daniel  and  Esther..  213 
X.  The  Apocrypha .  247 

XI.  Wisdom  and  Philosophy — Proverbs  and 

Ecclesiastes .  277 

XII.  Human  Nature  Revealed  in  Poetry — Job, 

Song  of  Songs,  Psalms,  Isaiah . . . 305 


i  •  -  \ 


v  .  -  >  '  r  '  -  •  ■ 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD 


The  Beginning — God  the  Supreme  Artist — The  Fourth 
Day — The  River — Adam  and  Eve — The  Power  of 
Choice — -The  Triple  Curse — Cain  and  Abel — Long- 
lived  Ancestors — Methuselah — The  Flood — Noah — 
Noah's  Wife — Drunkenness  of  Noah — His  Curse 


I 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD 

The  early  chapters  of  Genesis  are  a  kind  of  Out¬ 
line  of  History,  like  that  by  H.  G.  Wells,  only  better 
written.  They  are  even  more  condensed  than  his, 
and  like  his  book,  they  attempt  to  account  for  the 
things  we  see :  light,  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  land, 
water,  animals,  and  man.  No  one  knows  how  any 
of  these  came  into  existence,  but  the  Bible  account 
is  sublime  in  its  simple  dignity,  and  begins  in  a  rea¬ 
sonable  and  orderly  manner  by  putting  the  First 
Cause  first.  I  have  read  accounts  of  the  origin  of 
the  world  in  the  bibles  of  other  religions,  and  they 
all,  while  containing  some  fine  and  interesting  re¬ 
marks,  seem  to  have  much  that  is  trivial  and  silly. 
There  is  nothing  childish  or  silly  in  our  Bible.  The 
narrative  opens  like  a  great  symphony: 

In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth. 

And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void;  and  darkness 
was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep.  And  the  Spirit  of  God  moved 
upon  the  face  of  the  waters. 

And  God  said,  Let  there  be  light;  and  there  was  light. 

Lotze  said  that  the  Mosaic  cosmogony  was  more 
sublime  than  any  other,  and  he  was  right.  It  repre- 

3 


4  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


sents  physical  changes  coming  from  the  Divine  Will, 
coming  easily  and  immediately.  The  control  of 
mind  over  matter  seems  to  me  more  natural  and 
reasonable  than  the  other  way  around,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  some  reasonable  men  are  materialists. 
In  the  last  analysis  the  idea  that  the  human  mind 
developed  out  of  matter  seems  to  me  as  curious  as 
the  idea  that  an  automobile  should  make  a  man, 
rather  than  a  man  make  an  automobile.  I  wonder 
if  those  who  believe  that  thought,  imagination, 
poetry  and  music  were  made  by  matter  do  not  fall 
into  a  vicious  circle  by  somehow  thinking  that  the 
creative  matter  had  mind  in  it. 

Although  it  is  impossible  for  the  mind  of  man  to 
understand  the  mind  of  God,  I  can,  in  a  minute 
fashion,  appreciate  the  happiness  of  God  as  He 
surveyed  each  day’s  achievement.  “God  saw  that 
it  was  good,”  and  rejoiced.  Of  course  He  did.  One 
of  the  features  of  the  Bible  account  of  creation  is 
that  it  represents  God  as  the  Supreme  Artist.  The 
world  has  always  loved  great  artists — in  books, 
paintings,  buildings,  statues,  and  music.  One  reason 
why  I  love  God  is  because  the  beauty  of  the  universe 
came  from  Him.  He  made  the  sun  and  stars,  the 
mountains,  the  sea,  the  trees,  and  the  flowers.  Joyce 
Kilmer  said: 

Poems  are  made  by  fools  like  me, 

But  only  God  could  make  a  tree. 

The  first  chapter  of  Genesis  represents  the  Artist 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  5 


in  the  full  glow  of  creation.  As  He  made  Light, 
Water,  and  Land,  He  stopped  to  survey  His  work, 
and  He  felt  a  thrill  of  joy.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
some  of  the  highest  and  purest  happiness  known  to 
man  is  when  he  finishes  a  painting  or  a  poem  or  a 
symphony  that  he  knows  is  good;  and  the  Bible  is 
undoubtedly  right  when  it  represents  the  greatest  of 
all  Artists  looking  on  His  creations  with  delight.  As 
Aprile  said  to  Paracelsus : 

God  is  the  perfect  poet, 

Who  in  His  person  acts  His  own  creations. 

Aprile  was  a  poet  and  knew  what  he  was  talking 
about.  After  a  life  of  dissipation  he  found  his  way 
to  God  through  beauty  as  others  have  found  it 
through  character.  Furthermore,  there  is  something 
divine  in  the  act  of  creation.  Beethoven,  Raphael, 
and  Shakespeare  seem  in  some  mysterious  manner  to 
approach  divinity. 

As  a  representation  of  continuous  masterpieces  in 
art,  such  as  an  artist  throws  off  in  his  happiest 
moods,  the  first  chapter  in  the  Bible  has  a  magnifi¬ 
cence  all  its  own;  from  the  point  of  view  of  science 
it  marks  the  procession  from  the  inorganic  to  the 
organic;  the  waters  were  divided,  the  lower  waters 
receded,  and  the  dry  land  appeared;  then  came  vege¬ 
tation,  luxurious,  abundant — the  third  day.  Fish 
and  fowl  appeared  on  the  fifth  day;  on  the  sixth 
came  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  running  and  creeping 
flat,  followed  by  the  upright  figure  of  man. 


6  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  only  thing  in  the  six  days’  progression  which 
seems  to  me  strange  is  the  creation  of  the  sun,  moon, 
and  stars  on  the  fourth  day.  In  Dostoevski’s  novel, 
The  Brothers  Karamazov ,  this  is  mentioned,  to¬ 
gether  with  an  illustration  of  how  obedience  in  a 
pupil  used  to  be  more  highly  regarded  than  intelli¬ 
gence.  When  Smerdyakov  was  twelve  years  old, 
Grigory  began  to  teach  him  the  Bible.  “But  the 
teaching  came  to  nothing.  At  the  second  or  third 
lesson  the  boy  suddenly  grinned.  ‘What’s  that  for?’ 
asked  Grigory,  looking  at  him  threateningly  from 
under  his  spectacles.  ‘Oh,  nothing.  God  created 
light  on  the  first  day  and  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars 
on  the  fourth  day.  Where  did  the  light  come  from 

on  the  first  day?’ . ‘I’ll  show  you  where !’  he 

cried,  and  gave  the  boy  a  violent  slap  on  the  cheek.” 

Doubtless  the  boy  then  saw  more  stars  than  were 
in  the  lesson.  Violence  is  a  convenient  but  not  per¬ 
manent  method  of  silencing  questions.  Further¬ 
more,  there  have  been  plausible  answers  to  Smer¬ 
dyakov’ s  query. 

I  remember  in  studying  Latin  grammar  at  school 
I  exclaimed:  “I  don’t  see  the  use  of  learning  these 
strings  of  exceptions  by  rote.” 

The  teacher  flew  into  a  rage  and  shouted:  “Your 
business  is  not  to  ask  questions,  but  to  do  the  work 
assigned  to  you.” 

I  then  believed  the  teacher  to  be  mistaken;  now  I 
know  he  was. 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  7 


And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden  eastward  in  Eden;  and 
there  he  put  the  man  whom  he  had  formed. 

And  out  of  the  ground  made  the  Lord  God  to  grow  every 
tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight,  and  good  for  food;  the  tree  of 
life  also  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree  of  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil. 

And  a  river  went  out  of  Eden  to  water  the  garden. 

I  can  see  the  pleasant  river  flowing  through  the 
greenery.  It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  the 
Bible  begins  and  ends  with  a  river.  The  earthly 
paradise  and  the  heavenly  were  each  beautified  by  a 
noble  river;  see  the  first  verse  of  the  last  chapter 
in  the  Bible.  Curious  that  so  many  Christians  have 
believed  in  a  river  of  death,  when  there  is  no  sug¬ 
gestion  of  it  in  the  Bible,  where  is  described  the 
river  of  life.  The  Styx  has  no  place  in  Christian 
theology;  yet  many  Christians  talk  of  crossing  the 
river  of  death,  perhaps  because  Bunyan  made  such  a 
dramatic  scene  of  it  in  the  Pilgrim’s  Progress.  It 
may  have  annoyed  him  that  he  could  not  give  chap¬ 
ter  and  verse  for  it,  his  usual  method  of  fortifying 
his  pictures  and  anecdotes. 

Adam  does  not  appear  to  have  been  remarkable 
either  for  intelligence  or  for  courage;  but  he  must 
have  been  extraordinarily  ingenious.  He  named  all 
the  animals.  In  language  he  must  have  had  creative 
ability  and  a  large  vocabulary.  Anyone  who  wishes 
to  know  what  a  mental  feat  this  literary  branding 
was  has  only  to  try  to  name  six  things  in  a  row. 
The  late  Mr.  Pullman  gave  one  of  his  daughters  a 


8  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


large  salary  simply  for  naming  each  new  Pullman 
car.  Was  it  she  who  made  them  sound  like  a  list  of 
dramatis  personae  in  Shakespeare? 

John  Donne,  who  was  Dean  of  St.  Paul’s  three 
hundred  years  ago,  seems  to  have  admired  Adam’s 
verbal  skill,  for  in  his  Fourth  Satire,  describing  a 
man  he  met  at  court,  he  says  he  saw 

A  thing  it  would  have  posed  Adam  to  name. 

The  creation  of  Eve  completed  the  beauty  of  the 
scene,  for  there  is  nothing  lovelier  than  a  lovely 
woman  in  a  lovely  garden. 

Hir  yelow  heer  was  broyded  in  a  tresse, 

Bihynde  hir  bak,  a  yerde  long,  I  gesse, 

And  in  the  gardin,  at  the  sonne  up-riste, 

She  walketh  up  and  doun,  and  as  her  liste 
She  gadereth  floures,  party  whyte  and  rede, 

To  make -a  sotil  gerland  for  hir  hede, 

And  as  an  aungel  hevenly  she  song. 

Between  them,  and  with  some  prompting,  Adam 
and  Eve  managed  to  ruin  the  garden,  as  has  been 
man’s  way  with  Nature  ever  since.  Browning  said, 
“Heaven’s  gift  takes  earth’s  abatement.”  One  does 
not  have  to  read  ancient  history  to  see  what  man  has 
done  with  Nature’s  gifts  of  richness  and  beauty. 
Look  around  now  and  consider. 

Regarding  the  old  story,  perhaps  the  most  amaz¬ 
ing  thing  bestowed  on  our  first  parents  wras  the  gift 
of  choice.  It  seems  astounding  that  they  had  it  en¬ 
tirely  within  their  own  power  to  destroy  their  happi¬ 
ness.  They  were  as  unfitted  for  the  elective  system 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  9 


in  life  as  most  of  their  descendants  have  been,  but 
their  destiny  was  placed  within  their  control,  and 
they  naturally  chose  wrong.  To  put  the  tree  of  life 
and  the  tree  of  knowledge  within  their  reach  seems 
like  putting  sugar  and  arsenic  within  the  grasp  of 
children;  the  situation  has  not  materially  changed 
within  the  last  six  thousand  years.  Adam  and  Eve 
were  distinctly  warned  in  advance,  which  had  the 
natural  effect;  today  moderns  have  all  the  advan¬ 
tages  that  come  from  humanity’s  collective  wisdom, 
and  with  what  result? 

Adam  and  Eve  did  not  know  by  previous  expe¬ 
rience  what  would  happen.  How  much  wiser  are 
we?  Every  commencement  essay  in  schools  and 
colleges  upholds  a  sufficient  number  of  moral  ideals 
to  save  the  world,  based  on  knowledge,  and  are  all 
graduates  saints?  We  know  exactly  what  is  bad  for 
us,  and  then  we  take  it. 

Recently  we  have  been  taught  something  of  the 
results  of  war  on  a  large  scale,  although  we  are  only 
beginning  to  feel  them.  We  are  solemnly  warned 
what  the  “next  war”  will  mean.  Now  does  anybody 
seriously  believe  that  there  will  not  be  another  war? 

What  the  fowls  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the 
field  looked  like  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  I  really  do 
not  know,  but  it  is  impossible  to  mistake  Adam  and 
Eve.  They  were  one  hundred  percent  human.  They 
were  the  average  man  and  woman  of  1922.  The 
American  poet,  Vachel  Lindsay,  impliedly  defines 
Democracy  in  the  phrase,  “The  people  have  a  right 


10  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


to  make  their  own  mistakes.”  Well,  no  develop¬ 
ment  is  possible  without  the  power  of  choice;  and 
human  history  begins  with  it. 

The  snake  was  a  practiced  liar;  but  his  chief  iie 
was  not  in  saying,  “Ye  shall  not  surely  die,”  al¬ 
though  this  was,  like  everything  else  he  said,  a  lie; 
his  chief  lie  was  in  the  remark,  “Ye  shall  be  as 
gods,  knowing  good  and  evil,”  the  very  passage  that 
Mephistopheles,  disguised  as  the  Doctor,  wrote  in 
the  student’s  book  in  Faust.  We  should  substitute 
the  words  “men  and  women”  for  “gods”;  for  it  is 
humanity  that  knows  by  sad  experience  the  differ¬ 
ence  between  good  and  evil,  whereas  the  serene  gods 
of  most  nations  have  been  either  beyond  all  such 
boundaries  or  indifferent  to  their  possible  import. 

The  garden  of  Eden  resembled  modern  society 
both  in  the  existence  of  sin  and  in  its  punishment. 
There  the  punishment  was  not  long  delayed.  When 
the  sin  was  discovered,  it  must  be  confessed  that 
Adam  did  not  present  a  very  chivalrous  attitude ;  he 
“told  on”  his  wife  immediately,  like  a  coward  at 
school.  “And  the  man  said,  The  woman  thou  gavest 
to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did 
eat.”  Is  it  possible  that  in  the  first  clause  of  Adam’s 
reply  there  is  a  hint  of  irony  as  well  as  of  plaint¬ 
iveness  ? 

What  was  the  punishment  ?  What  was  the  curse  ? 
To  Adam  hard  labour.  “In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 
shalt  thou  eat  bread.”  He  must  become  a  farmer, 
which  is  in  the  twentieth  century  not  a  popular  pro- 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  11 


fession.  Furthermore,  he  would  get  his  food  with 
difficulty.  The  earth  would  yield  a  good  crop  only 
by  toil  and  eternal  vigilance;  whereas  weeds  would 
rise  spontaneously.  “Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall 
it  bring  forth  to  thee.”  This  curse  has  not  yet  been 
lifted. 

The  curse  to  Eve?  She  will  bear  children  in 
bodily  anguish,  and  she  will  be  subordinate  to  her 
husband:  “he  shall  rule  over  thee.”  Apparently  in 
the  garden  of  Eden,  before  they  ate  of  the  tree, 
Adam  and  Eve  enjoyed  absolute  equality.  During 
the  last  century  the  daughters  of  Eve  have  made 
strenuous  efforts  to  nullify  this  part  of  the  curse. 
Partly  owing  to  inferiority  in  physical  strength, 
they  have  not  yet  wholly  succeeded.  Physical  infe¬ 
riority  was  a  curse  apparently  provided  particularly 
for  women;  in  animal  life  females  are  often  on  a 
par  with  males  in  speed  and  strength,  and  there  are 
those  who  believe  they  are  even  more  deadly. 

The  curse  to  the  snake?  He  was  to  become  an 
object  of  eternal  loathing  to  men  and  women.  And, 
except  to  professional  snake-charmers  and  to  some 
strange-minded  children,  he  is  still  an  object  inspir¬ 
ing  horror,  dread,  and  hate. 

It  is  always  tragic  to  leave  one’s  home  forever, 
much  harder  on  the  woman  than  on  the  man.  I  am 
sure  that  Eve  felt  worse  than  Adam  as  they  fared 
forth  into  the  wilderness.  Perhaps  the  emotions  of 
both  were  accurately  guessed  by  Milton  in  the  noble 
close  of  Paradise  Lost: 


12  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


They,  looking  back,  all  the  eastern  side  beheld 
Of  Paradise,  so  late  their  happy  seat, 

Wav’d  over  by  that  flaming  brand;  the  gate 
With  dreadful  faces  throng’d,  and  fiery  arms. 

Some  natural  tears  they  dropt,  but  wip’d  them  soon; 

The  world  was  all  before  them,  where  to  choose 
Their  place  of  rest,  and  Providence  their  guide: 

They  hand  in  hand,  with  wandering  steps  and  slow, 
Through  Eden  took  their  solitary  way. 

History  is  largely  the  record  of  the  killing  of  man 
by  man;  birds  are  protected  by  law,  and  a  few  of 
them  may  be  shot  only  in  the  open  season;  whereas 
just  as  many  men  are  killed  in  one  month  as  in  an¬ 
other.  And  in  times  of  war  there  is  no  closed  season. 
The  first  murder  occurs  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  the 
Bible,  indicating  again  how  speedily  man  began  to 
be  true  to  himself.  Abel  was  a  keeper  of  sheep,  but 
Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the  ground.  No  wonder  Cain 
was  ill-tempered.  He  had  to  drive  oxen,  whereas 
Abel  merely  sat  and  watched  the  peaceful  sheep.  It 
is  said  by  professional  plowmen  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  drive  oxen  without  swearing;  and  cer¬ 
tainly  tillers  of  the  soil  often  become  fluent  in  this 
manner  of  speech.  Cain  seems  to  have  had  a  violent 
temper  anyhow,  which  was  not  improved  by  the 
day’s  work.  He  also  had  a  Tom  Sawyer  hatred 
for  good  little  boys;  and  perhaps  Abel’s  piety  and 
blamelessness  became  insufferable.  Apparently  the 
murder  was  not  deliberately  planned,  but  was  the 
result  of  a  sudden,  overmastering  impulse.  It  is 
interesting  to  observe  that  Cain  was  permitted  to 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  13 


live,  branded  as  much  for  safety  as  for  disgrace; 
and  it  is  still  more  interesting  to  note  that  his  great- 
great-great  grandson,  Lamech,  was  also  a  murderer. 
Whom  he  killed  or  why  he  did  it  we  shall  never 
know;  but  he  regretted  it,  for  he  remarked  to  his 
two  wives :  “I  have  slain  a  man  to  my  wounding  and 
a  young  man  to  my  hurt.” 

Human  responsibility  was  the  law  that  Cain 
broke :  his  surly  remark,  “Am  I  my  brother’s 
keeper?”  has  come  echoing  down  the  ages,  and  re¬ 
ceived  a  final  answer  in  our  Lord’s  parable  of  the 
Good  Samaritan.  The  rebellious  element  in  Cain’s 
nature  has  made  him  a  hot  favourite  with  many 
poets,  who  turned  him  into  a  hero  of  drama,  Byron’s 
Cain  arousing  the  attention  of  Europe.  But  Cain 
was  really  no  hero ;  he  was  simply  very  human.  He 
seems  more  real  than  his  mild  brother.  Cain’s  de¬ 
scendants  were  important  pioneers;  the  murderer 
Lamech  had  three  sons — Jabal,  the  cowboy;  Jubal, 
the  musician;  Tubal-Cain,  the  smith.  It  is  pleasant 
to  see,  so  early  in  history,  music  placed  on  an  ap¬ 
parent  equality  with  more  “useful”  and  philistine 
work. 

The  patriarchs  that  followed  our  first  parents 
seem  to  have  lived  long.  Adam  set  a  good  example 
by  living  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years ;  hard  work 
and  plenty  of  fresh  air  were  no  doubt  good  for  him. 
Perhaps  they  did  not  begin  to  feel  old  till  they  had 
passed  their  eighth  century;  I  have  a  suspicion  that 
when  they  were  about  eight  hundred  and  fifty  they 


14  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


resented  the  attitude  of  striplings  of  three  hundred- 
and-so,  who  tried  to  help  them  on  with  their  cloaks 
— “I’m  just  as  young  as  I  ever  was.”  Methuselah 
was  the  champion,  living  to  be  nine  hundred  and 
sixty-nine;  but,  after  all,  in  excitement  his  life  may 
have  been  shorter  than  Rupert  Brooke’s. 

When  I  was  a  child  I  heard  Mark  Twain  deliver 
a  graduating  address  at  school.  He  said:  “The  sub¬ 
ject  of  my  remarks  is  Methuselah;  he  lived  to  be 
nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years;  but  what  of  that? 
There  was  nothing  doing.”  Methuselah  would  have 
been  interested  could  he  have  known  that  when  he 
passed  the  record  set  by  Jared,  who  lived  nine  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty-two  years,  he  would  be  famous  so 
long  as  there  is  a  man  left  on  the  earth.  Few  men 
in  history  are  more  of  a  household  word  today;  and 
Bernard  Shaw  is  the  latest  to  make  use  of  his  name 
in  literature.  I  suppose  the  women  lived  as  long  as 
the  men,  though  their  ages  are  not  recorded.  Sarah’s 
age  was  given  much  later  and  for  a  special  reason. 

There  were  giants  in  the  earth  in  those  days, 
mighty  men  which  were  of  old,  men  of  renown;  so 
we  learn  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Genesis;  but  from 
the  moral  point  of  view  they  were  not  mighty  at  all. 

And  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man  was  great  in  the 
earth,  and  that  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart 
was  only  evil  continually. 

And  it  repented  the  Lord  that  he  had  made  man  on  the  earth, 
and  it  grieved  him  at  his  heart. 

The  first  of  these  two  verses  is  not  an  exaggera- 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  15 


tion  and — with  reservations— would  do  fairly  well 
for  any  period  of  human  history;  the  second  takes 
us  back  to  the  First  Day,  when  God  saw  that  it  was 
good.  Nature  was  splendid,  human  nature  evil — 
where  every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile. 
The  earth  needed  a  bath,  and  got  it. 

The  story  of  the  Flood,  as  given  in  Genesis,  is 
dramatic  in  its  simplicity.  It  is  one  of  the  best  short 
stories  ever  written;  no  child,  hearing  or  reading  it 
once,  will  forget  it  in  maturer  years — the  building 
of  the  dreadnought  ark;  the  entrance  of  Noah,  his 
wife,  his  three  sons — Shem,  Ham,  Japheth — with 
their  wives;  the  dignified  procession  of  animals,  two 
by  two. 

In  the  Bible  account  there  seem  to  have  been  no 
domestic  difficulties  when  the  rain  began  to  fall; 
Noah,  his  wife  and  family,  all  entered  the  ark  with¬ 
out  any  urging.  But  in  the  mediaeval  Mystery 
Plays,  where  the  flood  was  naturally  a  favourite 
scene,  humour  was  injected  into  the  story.  Noah’s 
wife  had  an  unpleasant  disposition,  and  emphatically 
refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  ship.  She 
finally  consented  to  enter  if  the  ladies’  club  to  which 
she  belonged  might  come  in  too;  Noah  was  naturally 
unable  to  comply  with  this  demand.  While  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth  are  leading  all  the  animals  into 
the  steerage,  Noah’s  wife,  although  the  waters  are 
rising  and  the  situation  seems  desperate,  regards  the 
exertions  of  her  husband  and  sons  with  cynical  dis¬ 
dain. 


16  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 

Noye.  WifFe,  come  in:  why  standes  thou  their? 

Thou  arte  ever  frowarde,  I  dare  well  sweare; 

Come  in,  one  Godes  name!  halfe  tyme  yt  were, 

For  feare  leste  that  we  drowne. 

Noyes  IV iff  e.  Yea,  sir,  sette  up  youer  saile 
And  rowe  fourth  with  evill  haile, 

For  withouten  fayle 

I  will  not  oute  of  this  towne ; 

But  I  have  my  gossippes  everechone 
One  foote  further  I  will  not  gone; 

The  shall  not  drowne,  by  Sante  John! 

And  I  may  save  ther  life. 

Noah  is  perplexed  and  evidently  not  for  the  first 
time ;  the  sons  speak  rather  roughly  to  their  mother, 
except  Japheth,  the  gentleman,  who  entreats;  all  to 
no  avail.  Then  Shem  picks  her  up,  throws  her  into 
the  boat,  and  as  Noah  says  doubtfully,  “Welcome, 
wife,  into  this  boat,”  she  strikes  him  with  her  fist. 
This  slap-stick  farce  delighted  our  British  ancestors. 

In  a  time  when  few  could  read,  the  mediaeval 
stage  helped  to  keep  the  Bible  alive. 

At  the  deluge  Noah  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  a 
middle-aged  man,  un  homme  mur ,  being  six  hundred 
years  old.  After  the  event  he  lived  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years,  dying  at  the  age  of  nine  hundred  and 
fifty.  How  frequently  during  those  remaining  three 
centuries  and  a  half  Noah  and  his  family  must  have 
talked  about  the  flood!  It  could  hardly  be  said  to 
have  been  a  landmark  in  their  history,  but  I  can 
imagine  them  using  it  as  a  great  date.  “That  hap¬ 
pened  before  the  flood.”  “Do  you  remember  three 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  17 


hundred  years  after  the  deluge,  when  I  broke  my 
hip?” 

I  wonder  what  the  constitution  of  the  water  was 
during  the  complete  submersion.  Did  the  ocean 
make  the  whole  expanse  salt,  or  did  the  mighty  rain 
make  the  sea  fresh?  This,  like  the  song  of  the 
Sirens,  or  what  name  Achilles  took  at  the  girls’ 
school,  we  shall  never  know. 

No  child  brought  up  on  the  Bible — as  all  children 
should  be — ever  forgets  the  happy  moment  when 
the  waters  “asswaged”;  and  “in  the  tenth  month, 
on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  were  the  tops  of  the 
mountains  seen.”  The  sending  out  of  the  raven  and 
then  the  dove  appeals  to  the  imagination;  I  have 
often  wondered  how  long  it  took  the  mates  of  these 
two  birds  to  find  them.  On  the  second  trip  of  the 
dove  her  fluttering  at  the  window  of  the  ark  in  the 
evening,  bearing  the  olive  leaf  in  her  mouth,  must 
have  caused  enormous  conversation  within  the  fam¬ 
ily  circle  inside.  After  six  days  on  the  water,  green 
fields  are  a  thrilling  sight;  what  must  this  olive  leaf 
have  signified  to  the  weary  voyagers? 

The  absolute  persistence  of  sin  on  the  earth  is  the 
cardinal  fact  in  human  history;  all  the  ocean  and 
all  the  rain  could  not  wash  wickedness  off  the  land. 
Although  Noah  knew  that  the  inhabitants  had  been 
slain  because  of  their  evil  doing,  and  although  he 
and  his  family  had  been  miraculously  spared,  and 
although  he  had  built  an  altar  and  worshipped  as 
soon  as  he  touched  the  ground,  almost  his  next  re- 


18  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


corded  act  was  to  get  drunk.  It  was  like  going  to 
church  in  the  morning  and  getting  drunk  in  the  after¬ 
noon — still  a  familiar  sight  in  certain  parts  of  the 
world.  Perhaps  after  so  much  water,  wine  seemed 
attractive. 

Ham  had  the  misfortune  to  see  his  father  dead 
drunk;  and  Noah,  when  he  awaked,  instead  of 
being  penitent  for  his  disgrace,  cursed  his  son  for 
seeing  him.  Noah  is  not  the  only  person  in  history 
who  felt  worse  about  being  caught  than  about  doing 
wrong.  I  never  was  favourably  impressed  by 
Noah’s  cursing  his  own  son;  of  course  he  was  in 
a  bad  temper  when  he  woke  up  and  probably  had 
a  desperate  headache;  but  if  he  had  said,  “Lord,  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner!”  I  should  have  had  more 
respect  for  him  than  when  he  added  to  the  sin  of 
drunkenness  the  sin  of  cursing  his  own  child,  just 
like  a  drunken  paterfamilias !  His  cursing  his  son 
did  more  harm  than  he  intended;  for  the  text, 
“Cursed  be  Canaan,”  was  a  favourite  basis  for  many 
sermons  in  Southern  churches  in  America,  eloquently 
delivered  in  support  of  the  institution  of  human 
slavery.  I  wonder  why  so  many  ministers  deem  it 
their  duty  to  support  the  dominant  political  party 
from  the  pulpit,  instead  of  preaching  the  gospel. 


II 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES 


The  Destruction  of  Sodom — Character  of  Lot — Lot's 
Wife — The  Laughter  of  Abraham — The  Sacrifice  of 
Isaac  and  Its  Repetition  in  the  Twentieth  Century — 
Isaac's  Mother  —  Courtship  of  Rebekah  —  Jacob's 
Treachery  to  Esau — The  Vision  in  the  Night — Joseph 
and  His  Brothers — Joseph  in  Egypt — The  Great 
Recognitio :  Scene 


II 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES 

We  learn  that  because  of  its  wickedness,  the 
population  of  the  earth,  with  the  exception  of  one 
family,  was  destroyed  by  cloud-bursts ;  the  twin 
cities  of  the  plain,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  were  de¬ 
stroyed  by  a  rain  of  lire  and  brimstone,  and  they 
seem  to  have  deserved  extinction.  Lot,  Abraham’s 
nephew,  is  an  interesting  person;  he  was  a  man  of 
business,  shrewd  and  clear-headed,  hospitable  and 
fair-spoken,  but  not  religious  like  his  distinguished 
uncle;  he  was  a  man  of  the  world.  He  prospered 
so  abundantly  that  even  in  those  broad  lands  the 
passion  of  earth-hunger,  which  has  caused  so  many 
devastating  wars,  started  a  small  light  between  his 
herdsmen  and  those  of  Abraham.  This  might  have 
led  to  serious  consequences  but  for  the  wisdom  and 
forbearance  of  the  man  of  God.  Abraham  sug¬ 
gested  that  perhaps  there  was  room  enough  in  the 
world  for  both,  and  generously  gave  Lot  the  first 
choice  of  territory.  Lot  looked  eastward,  saw 
a  charming,  well-watered  plain,  and  accordingly 
pitched  his  tent  toward  Sodom.  Then  came  the 

21 


22  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


battle  of  the  kings,  four  against  five,  and  Lot  was 
taken  prisoner.  Either  there  was  something  par¬ 
ticularly  lovable  about  Lot,  which  appealed  to 
Abraham,  or  it  was  merely  the  impelling  force  of 
blood-relationship;  Abraham  fought  with  the  cap- 
tors,  and  rescued  Lot,  his  family,  and  his  possessions. 
After  this  battle  we  have  that  mysterious  and  in¬ 
explicable  picture  of  Melchizedek,  a  picture  that 
torments  one’s  curiosity: 

And  Melchizedek  king  of  Salem  brought  forth  bread  and 
wine;  and  he  was  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God. 

And  he  blessed  him,  and  said,  Blessed  be  Abram  of  the  most 
high  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth; 

And  blessed  be  the  most  high  God,  which  hath  delivered 
thine  enemies  into  thy  hand.  And  he  gave  him  tithes  of  all. 

There  is  one  reference  to  Melchizedek  in  the 
Psalms,  and  eight  in  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews,  but 
I  doubt  if  the  writer  of  the  letter  knew  anything 
about  him.  He  was,  however,  obsessed  by  the  mys¬ 
terious  man,  saying  of  him  in  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Hebrews,  “without  father,  without  mother,  without 
descent,  having  neither  beginning  of  days,  nor  end 
of  life,  but  made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God;  abideth 
a  priest  continually.” 

The  King  of  Sodom  offered  to  let  Abraham  keep 
the  captured  goods  provided  he  would  hand  over 
Lot  and  his  family,  which  request  was  refused. 
Then  Abraham’s  affection  for  Lot  was  still  further 
shown  when,  after  he  had  entertained  three  angels, 


THE  CREATION  AND  THE  FLOOD  23 


who  gave  him  a  strong  hint  as  to  the  immediate 
future  of  the  city  of  Sodom,  he  pleaded  with  the 
Lord  to  spare  the  city.  There  is  something  humor¬ 
ously  Oriental  about  Abraham’s  bargaining  with 
Jehovah.  Just  as  accuracy  in  statement  is  a  modern 
virtue,  so  a  fixed  price  in  selling  is  both  recent  and 
Occidental.  No  trader  in  the  East  expects  his  first 
price  to  be  the  final  one,  nor  does  the  buyer  expect 
his  original  offer  to  be  accepted.  They  are  never  in 
a  hurry  under  the  sun;  both  seller  and  purchaser 
rejoice  in  the  artistry  of  bargaining  and  stretch  it 
out  as  long  as  possible.  Each  understands  the 
other’s  simulated  frankness.  So  when  Abraham 
first  begged  Jehovah  to  spare  the  doomed  town,  if 
it  contained  fifty  righteous  persons,  and  finally  beat 
the  number  down  to  ten — the  bottom  figure — he 
showed  himself  a  man  of  his  time. 

Two  angels  visited  Sodom  at  even,  and  were  en¬ 
tertained  by  Lot.  On  that  night,  the  last  night  in 
the  history  of  the  city,  the  inhabitants  completely 
demonstrated  their  fitness  for  damnation. 

After  the  evil  dark  came  a  terrible  dawn.  Lot 
lingered,  for  he  had  warned  his  sons-in-law  of  the 
imminent  disaster,  and  although  they  had  sneered 
at  him  he  may  have  hoped  that  at  the  last  moment 
they  would  start.  But  he  could  not  wait.  Just 
before  sunrise  the  angels  took  Lot,  his  wife,  and  two 
daughters  by  the  hand  and  told  them  to  escape  to 
the  mountain.  To  the  disordered  mind  of  the  fugi¬ 
tive  the  mountain  seemed  almost  as  bad  as  brim- 


24  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


stone,  and  he  prayed  that  he  might  enter  a  tiny 
town  close  at  hand : 

Behold  now,  this  city  is  near  to  flee  unto,  and  it  is  a  little 
one:  Oh,  let  me  escape  thither  (is  it  not  a  little  one?)  and  my 
soul  shall  live. 

This  request  was  granted,  and  the  city  was  there¬ 
after  called  Zoar,  which  means  “little.”  Lot  en¬ 
tered  this  refuge  just  after  sunrise : 

The  sun  was  risen  upon  the  earth  when  Lot  entered  into 
Zoar. 

And  the  Lord  rained  upon  Sodom  and  upon  Gomorrah  brim¬ 
stone  and  fire  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven . 

But  his  wife  looked  back  from  behind  him,  and  she  became 
a  pillar  of  salt. 

I  have  much  sympathy  for  her.  Lot  lost  some 
of  his  property,  but  she  lost  her  home.  A  home 
means  so  much  more  to  a  woman  than  to  a  man 
that  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  she  looked  back. 
Lot  was  thinking  of  his  safety,  but  she  was  thinking 
of  her  house,  and  all  the  pretty  things  in  it — all  the 
furniture,  all  the  ornaments,  all  the  family  china — 
burning  up.  Although  her  feet  were  carrying  her 
away  from  the  sulphurous  flames,  she  looked  back 
to  what  she  loved,  even  as  Orpheus  looked  back  to 
his  most  precious  treasure,  coming  out  of  hell. 

There  are  many  interesting  men  and  women  in 
the  book  of  Genesis,  and  four  great  personalities : 
Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Joseph.  Abraham  is  a  mag¬ 
nificent  ancestor.  Unlike  most  Old  Testament 
heroes,  hardly  anything  evil  can  be  charged  against 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  25 


him.  He  lied  twice  when  the  truth  would  have  been 
practically  as  well  as  morally  an  improvement;  but 
everything  else  he  said  and  did  is  admirable.  He 
came  out  of  a  pagan  country,  Ur  of  the  Chaldees; 
his  father  Terah  started  with  his  son  Abram,  his 
daughter-in-lav/  Sarai,  Abram’s  wife,  his  grandson 
Lot,  from  Ur  to  settle  in  Canaan;  but  on  their  way 
they  stopped  at  Haran;  and  Terah  died  in  Haran. 

Abraham  was  a  spiritually  minded  man;  he 
seemed  to  be  in  communication  with  God.  He  was 
invariably  obedient  to  the  divine  voice,  no  matter 
what  inconvenience  or  suffering  resulted;  for  he  had 
an  unfaltering  trust,  which  was  rewarded.  To  sig¬ 
nify  his  success  as  an  ancestor  his  name  was  changed 
from  Abram  to  Abraham.  Abram  means  father  of 
height }  but  Abraham  means  father  of  a  multitude. 
His  wife’s  name  was  changed  from  Sarai,  which 
means  Jehovah  is  prince ,  to  Sarah,  which  means 
princess. 

Abraham  and  Sarah  are  two  of  the  very  few 
characters  in  the  Bible  of  whom  it  is  recorded  that 
they  burst  out  laughing.  There  is  almost  no  laugh¬ 
ter  in  the  Bible,  except  the  mocking  laughter  of 
destiny;  yet  laughter  was  regarded  as  good,  and 
promised  to  those  who  lived  righteously.  Both  hus¬ 
band  and  wife  were  amused  by  the  same  promise — 
that  they  should  have  a  son.  Abraham  was  shaken 
by  uncontrollable  mirth,  so  that  he  rolled  on  the 
ground  in  merriment.  Can’t  you  see  him  holding 
his  sides,  and  then  unable  to  stand  up? 


26  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Then  Abraham  fell  upon  his  face,  and  laughed,  and  said  in 
his  heart,  Shall  a  child  be  born  unto  him  that  is  an  hundred 
years  old?  and  shall  Sarah,  that  is  ninety  years  old,  bear? 

Then  as  if  to  say,  “Don’t  let’s  talk  noiisense, 
let’s  keep  to  the  facts,”  he  cried  to  God,  “O  that 
Ishmael  might  live  before  thee!” 

Evidently  in  a  very  few  generations,  longevity 
had  come  near  to  what  we  regard  as  normalcy; 
Abraham’s  ancestors  apparently  had  children  at 
what  we  should  call  a  very  advanced  age. 

The  Associated  Press  reported  that  on  6  July, 
1922,  John  Shell  died  in  Kentucky  at  the  age  of  134, 
and  that  he  left  two  sons,  one  ninety  and  the  other 
seven  years  old ! 

Sarah  was  about  ten  years  younger  than  her  hus¬ 
band,  and  also  laughed  at  the  idea,  but  in  a  more 
contained  manner,  as  became  a  lady;  yet  when  her 
son  was  born,  she  said  with  fine  spirit,  “God  hath 
made  me  to  laugh,  so  that  all  that  hear  will  laugh 
with  me.”  And  the  child  was  named  Isaac,  which 
means  laughter. 

The  Arabs  regard  Ishmael  as  their  ancestor;  it 
is  rather  remarkable  that  Abraham’s  two  sons, 
Isaac  and  Ishmael,  should  be  respectively  the  fathers 
of  the  Hebrews  and  of  the  Mohammedans. 

I  do  not  share  the  common  opinion  that  Abrahani 
did  wrong  in  offering  up  his  son  Isaac.  On  the  con¬ 
trary  it  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  of  all  his  re¬ 
corded  deeds.  The  twenty-second  chapter  of  Gene¬ 
sis  gives  this  story  with  such  brevity  and  simplicity 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  27 


that  the  effect  is  startlingly  dramatic.  There  are 
to-day  many  conscientious  objectors;  they  say  that 
Abraham’s  obedience  to  God  is  fine,  but  when  he 
was  asked  to  give  the  life  of  his  own  son,  he  would 
have  shown  more  nobility  and  righteousness  had  he 
flatly  refused.  Indeed,  there  are  Christian  divines 
who  have  found  it  hard  to  swallow  this  story,  and 
it  is  plain  they  wish  it  had  never  been  written.  Yet 
men  in  our  day  not  only  consider  it  right  to  give 
the  lives  of  their  sons  for  what  they  regard  as  a 
higher  call,  but  are  universally  honoured  for  doing 
so.  What  would  be  the  general  opinion  of  a  man 
who,  during  the  years  1914-18,  had  said,  “No;  I 
love  my  son  too  much  to  sacrifice  his  life  at  his 
country’s  command;  it  cannot  be  right  for  a  father 
to  give  up  his  own  son.”  Millions  of  parents  fol¬ 
lowed  Abraham’s  example,  and  gave  their  sons  in 
response  to  what  they  believed  was  the  call  of  duty. 
Nor  did  they  feel  any  shame;  they  felt  exalted.  “I 
have  two  sons  at  the  front!”  And  those  who  car¬ 
ried  gold  stars  were  assigned  the  place  of  honour 
in  public  celebrations.  Do  you  remember  Lincoln’s 
wonderful  letter  to  the  woman  who  had  sacrificed 
five  sons  for  her  country? 

The  attacks  on  Abraham’s  character  are  based  on 
a  lack  of  faith  in  God.  He  really  believed  in  God, 
just  as  nowadays  every  man  believes  in  his  own 
country.  If  it  be  not  only  right  but  glorious  to 
give  one’s  son  for  one’s  country,  so  it  was  right  for 
Abraham  to  sacrifice  his  son  when  the  divine  voice 


28  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


called.  To-day,  in  public  addresses  and  public  docu¬ 
ments,  God  receives  a  complimentary  vote ;  but  when 
it  comes  to  making  a  real  sacrifice  for  Him  the  lack 
of  actual  faith  is  often  painfully  apparent.  Men 
and  women  are  proud  of  having  sons  at  the  front 
in  time  of  war;  but  if  they  really  believe  in  God  they 
ought  to  be  just  as  proud  of  having  them  away  as 
foreign  missionaries,  in  time  of  peace.  Are  they? 

Indeed,  the  supreme  example  of  divine  sacrifice  is 
in  the  words,  “God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave 
His  only-begotten  Son.”  We  give  our  sons  for  our 
country;  according  to  the  Gospel,  He  gave  His  for 
the  contemptible  world.  Some  persons  have  said 
ironically  that  many  men  will  die  to  save  others, 
and  that  if  they  had  the  chance  to  save  the  world 
by  dying,  anybody  would  do  it.  They  rather  miss 
the  point :  the  sacrifice  mentioned  in  the  Gospel  is  as 
if  a  man  should  give  his  life  to  save  a  hill  of  ants. 

Let  us  not  condemn  Abraham  till  we  have  begun 
to  understand  human  nature  in  the  twentieth  cen¬ 
tury;  for  Abraham  did  exactly  what  millions  of 
fathers  have  done  in  our  day. 

As  the  mediaeval  Mystery  Plays  interjected  slap¬ 
stick  farce  when  they  represented  the  comedy, 
Noah’s  Flood ,  so  they  added  an  original  and  more 
poignant  note  in  the  tragedy  of  Abraham  and  Isaac. 
They  knew  well  enough  that  the  love  of  mother  and 
son  is  universal  and  elemental.  Now  the  Bible  says 
nothing  of  Sarah’s  feelings  at  the  proposed  sacrifice, 
nor  of  Isaac’s  thought  of  her  in  the  supreme  moment. 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  29 


Attention  is  wholly  centred  on  the  father  and  son, 
as  it  is  in  Barrie’s  tragedy,  The  New  Word.  But 
in  one  of  the  old  Mysteries  we  have  a  scene  that 
must  have  produced  a  powerful  effect,  for  it  is  im¬ 
possible  even  now  to  read  it  coldly.  Isaac  becomes 
uneasy  at  the  nonappearance  of  the  animal  for  sacri¬ 
fice,  and  asks  his  father  some  embarrassing  ques¬ 
tions.  At  first  Abraham  puts  him  off,  but  finally  is 
forced  to  blurt  out  the  truth. 

A.  Ah!  Isaac,  Isaac!  I  must  kill  thee! 

I.  Kill  me,  father?  Alas!  what  have  I  done? 

If  I  have  trespassed  against  you  aught, 

With  a  rod  you  may  make  me  full  mild. 

And  with  your  sharp  sword  kill  me  not, 

For  surely,  father,  I  am  but  a  child. 

A.  I  am  full  sorry,  son,  thy  blood  for  to  spill, 

But  truly,  my  child,  I  may  not  choose. 

I.  Now  I  would  to  God  my  mother  were  here  on  this  hill! 
She  would  kneel  for  me  on  both  her  knees  to  save  my  life. 
And  since  my  mother  is  not  here, 

I  pray  you,  father,  change  your  cheer, 

And  kill  me  not  with  your  knife. 

Then  Abraham  explains  that  it  is  God’s  will  and 
Isaac,  while  he  cannot  understand  why  God  wishes 
him  slain,  submits. 

I.  Therefore  do  our  Lord’s  bidding, 

And  when  I  am  dead,  then  pray  for  me: 

But,  good  father,  tell  ye  my  mother  nothing, 

Say  that  I  am  in  another  country  dwelling. 

Jews  and  Egyptians,  Mohammedans  and  Chris¬ 
tians,  have  usually  buried  dead  bodies  with  care  and 


30  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


ceremony;  Hindoos  burned  them,  and  Parsees  left 
them  to  be  devoured.  The  first  funeral  mentioned 
in  the  Bible  was  that  of  Sarah,  and  for  that  purpose 
Abraham  bought  the  first  graveyard.  Sarah  died  at 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven,  and  after 
publicly  mourning  for  her,  Abraham  bought  of 
Ephron  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  to  be  used  as  a 
family  burying  ground.  The  conversation  between 
the  two  men  has  a  modern  flavour.  Abraham 
offered  to  pay  well  for  the  place,  and  Ephron 
answered : 

My  lord,  hearken  unto  me;  the  land  is  worth  four  hundred 
shekels  of  silver;  what  is  that  betwixt  me  and  thee?  bury 
therefore  thy  dead. 

And  Abraham  hearkened  unto  Ephron;  and  Abraham 
weighed  to  Ephron  the  silver,  which  he  had  named  in  the 
audience  of  the  sons  of  Heth,  four  hundred  shekels  of  silver, 
current  money  with  the  merchant. 

Sarah  was  an  interesting  and  charming  woman 
and  was  mourned  sincerely  by  both  her  husband  and 
her  son.  When  Isaac  married  Rebekah,  we  are  told 
that  “he  was  comforted  after  his  mother’s  death.” 

Abraham  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five,  which  was  then  regarded  as  old. 

Then  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  died  in  a  good  old 
age,  an  old  man,  and  full  of  years;  and  was  gathered  to  his 
people. 

Abraham  had  many  other  children,  but  Isaac 
and  Ishmael,  the  sons  of  Sarah  and  Hagar,  took 
charge  of  the  funeral,  and  buried  him  by  Sarah’s 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  31 


side  in  the  family  lot.  To  his  sons  by  other  women 
Abraham  had  made  gifts  and  sent  them  away;  to 
Isaac  he  left  his  entire  estate. 

The  unquestioning  obedience  that  Isaac  displayed 
when  prepared  for  sacrifice  by  his  father  was  symp¬ 
tomatic  of  his  character;  as  a  man,  he  seems  to  have 
lacked  force  and  initiative.  (What  would  have 
happened  if  Adam  had  tried  to  sacrifice  Cain?) 
Isaac  was  a  dreamy,  romantic  person,  who  accepted 
the  wife  his  father  provided  for  him,  and  then  went 
under  her  thumb.  He  became  a  pathetic,  childish, 
spoiled  old  man,  over-fond  of  food,  like  many  old 
people;  and  was  easily  bamboozled  by  his  scoun¬ 
drelly  son  Jacob.  He  was  always  in  love  with  his 
wife,  as  we  know  by  an  amusing  passage  in  the 
twenty-sixth  chapter  of  Genesis.  He  lied  to  Abime- 
lech,  like  his  father  before  him,  and  said  that  Re- 
bekah  was  his  sister.  Some  time  after,  the  good 
Abimelech  looked  out  of  a  window  and  saw  Isaac 
kissing  Rebekah  in  a  manner  unusual  between 
brothers  and  sisters.  So  here  again  a  lie  nearly 
brought  disaster,  where  the  truth  would  have  been 
safer. 

The  courtship  of  Rebekah  by  the  envoy  sent  by 
Abraham — who  seems  to  have  been  a  first-rate 
diplomat — is  a  pretty  story.  Rebekah  at  the  well, 
with  her  pitcher  on  her  shoulder,  is  a  picture  not 
easily  forgotten.  The  messenger  placed  a  gold  ring 
in  her  nose.  She  ran  into  the  house  to  show  the 
presents  given  her  by  the  stranger;  and  when  her 


32  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


brother  Laban  saw  those  gifts  he  was  impressed. 
We  can  see  the  greed  in  his  eyes,  for  we  know  his 
later  history.  Perhaps  Rebekah  was  glad  to  get 
away  from  him,  for  when  asked  if  she  would  follow 
the  ambassador  home  to  marry  a  man  she  had  never 
seen,  she  gave  an  unhesitating  and  unqualified  affirm¬ 
ative  : 

And  Isaac  went  out  to  meditate  in  the  field  at  the  eventide; 
and  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw,  and  behold,  the  camels  were 
coming. 

And  Rebekah  lifted  up  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Isaac,  she 
lighted  off  the  camel. 

For  she  had  said  unto  the  servant,  What  man  is  this  that 
walketh  in  the  field  to  meet  us?  And  the  servant  had  said, 
It  is  my  master;  therefore  she  took  a  vail,  and  covered  herself. 

This  first  courtship  is  told  with  much  interesting 
detail,  and  is  a  true  pastoral,  unequalled  in  idyllic 
beauty  until  we  come  to  the  story  of  Ruth. 

The  twin  sons  of  Jacob  and  Rebekah  were  the 
rufous  Esau  and  the  smooth  Jacob;  the  former  his 
father’s  and  the  latter  his  mother’s  favourite.  Esau 
grew  up  to  be  a  hunter  and  Jacob  a  “plain  man 
dwelling  in  tents.”  The  thick-headed,  downright, 
impetuous  fellow  was  no  match  for  his  crafty 
brother,  who  had  learned  sharp  dealing  in  business. 
Although  Jacob  was  blessed  by  God  and  became  the 
father  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  it  is  impossible 
to  admire  him,  or  to  forgive  him  for  his  treatment 
of  his  unsuspecting  brother.  When  Jacob  sod — 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  33 


boiled — pottage,  it  is  probable  that  he  knew  what 
he  was  about,  for  the  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  this  young  man  was  foresight.  Esau  came  in 
from  hunting  with  a  hunter’s  appetite;  and  the  smell 
of  the  cooking  was  too  much  for  him,  as  Jacob  had 
expected.  So  when  he  asked  for  food  he  found  he 
had  to  pay  his  birthright  for  it.  This  privilege 
seemed  to  him  an  empty  honour  in  comparison  with 
eating;  and  like  many  other  men,  he  sacrificed  the 
future  for  an  immediate  and  material  good.  The 
author  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  condemned 
Esau  for  selling  his  birthright;  but  from  our  point 
of  view  Jacob  is  more  to  be  condemned  for  buying  it. 
He  was  the  first  and  one  of  the  most  contemptible 
in  the  long  list  of  food  profiteers. 

But  when  Rebekah  and  Jacob — two  of  a  kind — 
went  into  partnership  to  swindle  both  Isaac  and 
Esau,  the  result  was  even  more  disastrous;  the 
twenty-seventh  chapter  of  Genesis,  in  its  dramatic 
narration  of  this  outrage,  must  be  regarded,  from 
the  artistic  point  of  view,  as  one  of  the  finest  short 
stories  in  literature.  Nor  is  it  the  only  instance 
where  a  mother  and  son  have  united  to  get  some¬ 
thing  out  of  the  father  of  the  house. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  authors  of 
the  books  in  the  Bible  seldom  attempt  to  shield  their 
heroes,  or  to  palliate  their  offences.  We  shall  see 
later,  when  we  come  to  study  the  lives  of  the  kings, 
that  an  extraordinary  feature  of  the  biographies  is 
their  lack  of  the  nationalistic  bias;  and  so,  at  the 


34  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


very  outset  of  the  history  of  the  Israelites,  the 
duplicity  and  treachery  and  selfishness  of  the  father 
of  the  twelve  tribes  are  set  down  with  amazing 
candour.  Love  of  truth  triumphed  over  partisan 
feeling;  which  is  one  reason  why  the  stories  in  the 
Bible  make  such  interesting  reading.  Human  nature 
as  it  really  is  arouses  the  interest  of  persons  in  all 
ages  and  in  all  countries;  whereas  plaster  saints  are 
dull.  They  are  dull,  not  because  people  dislike  good¬ 
ness,  but  because  the  average  man  never  likes  to  see 
men  and  women  represented  as  untrue  to  human 
nature.  There  is  only  one  perfect  character  in  the 
Bible,  and  He  was  divine. 

The  worst  service  that  can  possibly  be  performed 
for  a  historical  figure  is  for  his  biographer  to  repre¬ 
sent  him  as  perfect;  readers  lose  interest  in  him. 
This  is  well  brought  out  by  Lytton  Strachey,  in  his 
Life  of  Queen  Victoria,  where  he  accounts  for  the 
lack  of  interest  among  English  people  in  the  Prince 
Consort,  who  was  really  a  man  of  extraordinary 
power,  by  the  fact  that  the  official  biographies  made 
him  a  pattern  of  all  the  virtues  instead  of  a  human 
being.  No  such  error  is  committed  by  Bible  authors ; 
which  is  one  reason  why  the  men  and  women  in  the 
Bible  are  so  vivid.  It  is  a  continual  Revelation 
of  Man. 

Jacob  had  a  well-founded  fear  that  Esau  would 
kill  him;  he  fled  to  the  stock  farm  of  his  uncle  Laban, 
and  there  married  two  of  his  first  cousins.  On  the 
way  thither  he  had  a  vivid  dream: 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  35 


And  he  lighted  upon  a  certain  place,  and  tarried  there  all 
night,  because  the  sun  was  set;  and  he  took  of  the  stones  of 
that  place,  and  put  them  for  his  pillows,  and  lay  down  in  that 
place  to  sleep. 

And  he  dreamed,  and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth, 
and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven;  and  behold  the  angels  of 
God  ascending  and  descending  on  it.  .  .  . 

And  Jacob  awaked  out  of  his  sleep,  and  he  said,  Surely  the 
Lord  is  in  this  place;  and  I  knew  it  not. 

And  he  was  afraid,  and  said,  How  dreadful  is  this  place! 
this  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate 
of  heaven. 

And  Jacob  rose  up  early  in  the  morning  and  took  the  stone 
that  he  had  put  for  his  pillows,  and  set  it  up  for  a  pillar,  and 
poured  oil  upon  the  top  of  it. 

And  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  Bethel.  ( House  of 
God. ) 

When  Sarah  Flower  wrote  her  hymn,  Nearer  My 
God  to  Thee ,  which  she  and  her  sister  sang  as  a 
duet  in  church,  she  was  inspired  by  this  particular 
incident  in  the  life  of  Jacob. 

Or,  like  the  wanderer, 

The  sun  gone  down, 

Darkness  be  over  me, 

My  rest  a  stone; 

Yet  in  my  dreams  I’d  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee! 

There  let  the  way  appear 
Steps  unto  heaven; 

All  that  thou  sendest  me 
In  mercy  given; 

Angels  to  beckon  me 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee! 


36  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Then  with  my  waking  thoughts, 

Bright  with  thy  praise, 

Out  of  my  stony  griefs, 

Bethel  I’ll  raise; 

So  by  my  woes  to  be 
Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee, 

Nearer  to  thee! 

The  best  part  of  Jacob’s  nature  and  the  best  thing 
in  his  life  was  his  love  for  Rachel.  He  was  a  lover, 
and  fell  in  love  at  first  sight : 

And  while  he  yet  spake  with  them,  Rachel  came  with  her 
father’s  sheep;  for  she  kept  them. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jacob  saw  Rachel  the  daughter  of 
Laban  his  mother’s  brother,  and  the  sheep  of  Laban  his 
mother’s  brother,  that  Jacob  went  near  and  rolled  the  stone 
from  the  well’s  mouth,  and  watered  the  flock  of  Laban  his 
mother’s  brother. 

And  Jacob  kissed  Rachel,  and  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  wept. 

And  Laban  had  two  daughters:  the  name  of  the  elder  was 
Leah,  and  the  name  of  the  younger  was  Rachel. 

Leah  was  tender-eyed;  but  Rachel  was  beautiful  and  well- 
favoured. 

I  used  to  think  that  this  passage  meant  that  Leah, 
although  inferior  in  beauty  to  her  younger  sister, 
had  lovely  expressive  eyes.  Not  at  all;  it  means 
that  Leah  was  sore-eyed.  Poor  Leah ! 

And  Jacob  loved  Rachel;  and  said,  I  will  serve  thee  seven 
years  for  Rachel  thy  younger  daughter.  .  .  . 

And  Jacob  served  seven  years  for  Rachel;  and  they  seemed 
unto  him  but  a  few  days,  for  the  love  he  had  to  her. 

When  Jacob  offered  to  serve  seven  years  for 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  37 


Rachel,  it  was  a  high  compliment  to  her  worth.  In 
Methuselah’s  time  seven  years  were  not  very  much, 
but  later  they  were  a  goodly  portion  of  a  man’s  life. 

Since  the  beginning  of  human  history  it  has  been 
sport  to  see  the  engineer  hoist  with  his  own  petard; 
and  it  is  not  altogether  with  regret  that  we  see  the 
scoundrel  Laban  cheating  his  nephew,  the  scoundrel 
Jacob.  They  were  an  accomplished  pair  of  robbers 
— diamond  cut  diamond,  and  Laban  met  his  match. 
Jacob  did  not  forget  the  trick  Laban  played  on  him. 
At  the  end  of  seven  years  rheumy-eyed  Leah  was 
worked  off  on  him  instead  of  Rachel;  her  father 
probably  believing  that  this  was  the  only  way  he 
could  get  his  eldest  daughter  married,  and  at  the 
same  time  he  could  keep  Jacob  another  seven  years. 
Jacob  was  a  good  workman,  was  plainly  mad  about 
Rachel,  and  would  not  go  without  her.  So  Jacob 
served  another  seven  years  for  the  woman  he  loved. 
Leah  had  more  sons,  but  Rachel  was  the  mother  of 
Joseph,  and  subsequently  died  in  child  birth — the 
child  was  Benjamin.  Sed  duo  leones . 

Jacob  swindled  Laban  neatly  with  the  cattle,  get¬ 
ting  the  strong  ones  for  himself,  and  leaving  the 
weaker  ones  for  Laban;  so  he  paid  him  back  for 
the  extra  seven  years.  When  Jacob,  his  two  wives 
and  children,  decided  to  leave  Laban,  Rachel  stole 
all  the  ikons  out  of  her  father’s  house;  what  was 
he  doing  with  those  household  gods,  anyhow?  And 
what  did  Rachel  mean  to  do  with  these  graven 
images?  She  wanted  them  so  badly  that  she  lied 


38  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


about  them  to  her  father  when  he  came  after  them, 
completely  deceiving  him. 

The  situation  is  similar  to  the  elopement  of  Jes¬ 
sica  with  Lorenzo,  for  we  know  that  when  Jessica 
left  her  father’s  house  she  took  something  away  with 
her.  In  Merchant  of  Venice,  Shylock  tells  the  whole 
story  of  how  Jacob  cheated  Laban  out  of  the  cattle, 
not  knowing  that  he  would  shortly  be  in  the  position 
of  Laban,  minus  his  daughter  and  the  gold. 

One  night  Jacob  wrestled  with  an  angel  until  the 
break  of  day,  refusing  to  let  go  until  he  had  received 
a  blessing.  He  had  his  name  changed  by  the  angel 
from  Jacob  ( supplanter )  to  Israel  ( Striver  with 
God),  and  limped  away  tired  but  satisfied.  Jacob 
never  let  go  of  anything  until  he  had  secured  some 
personal  profit  out  of  it. 

Every  change  in  government,  every  advance  in 
human  history,  has  to  be  accomplished  through 
human  agency,  imperfect,  ignorant,  and  selfish  as 
the  means  may  be.  It  is  not  altogether  surprising, 
therefore,  that  Jacob,  whose  character  was  spotted 
as  his  cattle,  should  have  been  selected  as  the  father 
of  the  twelve  tribes;  he  had  ability,  extraordinary 
tenacity,  and  was  physically  and  intellectually  fitted 
to  be  the  head  of  a  great  race.  His  love  of  bargain¬ 
ing  was  so  consuming  that  he  would  bargain  with 
God  Himself. 

Joseph  is  the  best  man  in  Genesis,  and  one  of 
the  best  men  in  history.  He  combined  the  romantic, 
dreamy  nature  of  his  grandfather  with  the  practical 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  39 


ability  of  his  father.  He  had  none  of  Isaac’s  weak¬ 
ness,  and  none  of,  his  father’s  duplicity;  or  rather 
his  father’s  selfish  trickery  changed  into  wholesome 
shrewdness  in  Joseph.  He  was  not  the  last  example 
of  an  upright  son  coming  from  a  rascally  father; 
there  are  many  of  them  alive. 

Jealousy  in  families  began  with  the  first;  and  as 
Cain  hated  Abel,  Joseph’s  brothers  hated  him.  He 
was  only  seventeen,  his  father’s  favourite,  and  he 
wore  a  conspicuously  beautiful  coat,  that  did  not 
add  to  his  popularity;  when  he  told  about  his  dream, 
where  his  brothers’  sheaves  made  obeisance  to  his, 
they  hated  him  yet  the  more.  It  is  all  natural 
enough,  and  given  the  same  circumstances  the  same 
thing  today  would  happen  in  Nebraska  or  Colorado. 

Joseph  went  out  to  meet  his  brothers  in  the 
pasture;  they  saw  him  coming  and  their  first  plan 
was  to  kill  him.  But  Reuben,  the  eldest,  counselled 
that  they  put  the  boy  in  a  pit,  because  he  hoped  to 
save  him  and  bring  him  home  to  his  father  again; 
so  they  took  off  his  coat  and  threw  him  in  the  pit. 
In  Reuben’s  temporary  absence  the  Ishmaelites  came 
along  with  their  camels,  and  Judah  suggested  that 
they  sell  Joseph  to  this  caravan.  We  may  discover 
here  a  kind  of  poetic  justice,  the  son  of  Sarah  sold 
to  the  son  of  Hagar,  whom  Sarah  had  treated  with 
such  fierce  cruelty  and  jealous  anger.  The  travellers 
carried  Joseph  off  to  Egypt.  When  Reuben  re¬ 
turned,  to  his  horror  Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit;  and 
he  rent  his  clothes. 


40  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


And  he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and  said,  The  child  is 
not;  and  I,  whither  shall  I  go?  (What  will  become  of  me?) 

Jacob  really  never  recovered  from  the  blow  when 
his  sons  returned  with  Joseph’s  bloody  coat.  He 
refused  to  be  comforted.  There  must  have  been 
many  times  when  his  brothers  wished  the  boy  were 
home  again. 

Joseph  was  like  the  industrious  apprentice,  and 
rose  rapidly  in  favour  in  the  land  of  Egypt;  he  was 
handsome,  had  excellent  manners,  was  intelligent 
and  reliable — one  in  a  thousand.  Captain  Potiphar 
made  him  his  overseer,  and  Potiphar’s  wife  natu¬ 
rally  fell  in  love  with  the  young  man  and  tempted 
him.  But  Joseph  was  loyal  to  his  employer,  and 
the  rebuffed  woman’s  feelings  turned  (once  more 
naturally)  into  rage;  she  told  her  husband  that 
Joseph  had  made  advances  to  her,  and  accordingly 
Joseph  was  put  in  prison. 

Observe  that  not  only  was  Joseph  man  enough  not 
to  betray  his  benefactor,  but  he  was  man  enough 
not  to  betray  the  woman;  he  knew  it  would  break 
up  the  home,  ruin  his  master’s  happiness,  and  cause 
the  death  of  Potiphar’s  wife;  so  he  chose  to  go  to 
prison,  having  with  him  the  consciousness  of  inno¬ 
cence.  His  character  shone  bright  in  the  darkness 
of  the  dungeon  and  he  was  made  a  Trusty. 

He  interpreted  the  dreams  of  the  butler  and  the 
baker.  I  have  always  been  sorry  for  the  poor  baker, 
for  there  seems  to  have  been  no  reason,  except  bad 
luck,  why  he  should  have  had  such  a  horrible  fate, 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  41 


while  the  butler  was  taken  back  into  high  favour. 
It  was  simply  a  trick  of  destiny.  Human  nature 
comes  out  clearly  in  the  butler;  Joseph,  after  doing 
him  a  kindness,  asked  him  to  remember  when  he  was 
in  power  again.  “Yet  did  not  the  chief  butler  re¬ 
member  Joseph,  but  forgat  him.”  Even  so. 

Two  years  later  Pharaoh  had  a  dream,  which 
seems  easy  to  interpret,  though  it  baffled  the  magi¬ 
cians;  his  butler  finally  remembered  the  young 
Hebrew,  and  Joseph  not  only  interpreted  the  dream, 
but  became  ruler  of  the  land  of  Egypt  under  the 
monarch;  he  drove  in  a  chariot,  and  people  bowed 
the  knee  before  him.  He  was  thirty  years  old;  it 
being  thirteen  years  since  he  was  sold  by  his  brothers. 

In  the  time  of  famine  he  had  the  position  that 
was  in  recent  years  so  successfully  filled  by  Mr. 
Herbert  Hoover;  he  controlled  the  food  supply, 
displaying  executive  ability  of  the  highest  order. 

The  story  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren  is  one  of 
the  greatest  stories  in  the  world;  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  most  dramatic;  as  a  revelation  of  the 
deep  instincts  of  family  affection,  universally  appeal¬ 
ing.  For  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  world 
understands  this  emotion,  however  untrue  they  may 
be  to  its  call  or  however  often  it  may  be  silenced  by 
the  lust  of  money  or  the  pride  of  life.  Few  things 
are  more  depressing  than  to  see  brothers  fighting 
over  their  father’s  will. 

Joseph  talked  with  his  ten  brothers  through  an 
interpreter,  and  they  naturally  did  not  recognise  in 


42  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  prime  minister  their  kin,  yet  the  dream  then 
came  true,  for  they  bowed  down  and  did  obeisance 
before  him.  They  were  required  to  return  home, 
and  fetch  Benjamin;  on  the  way  Reuben  reminded 
the  others  of  their  cruelty  to  Joseph  in  the  old  days, 
and  how  he  had  told  them  it  would  lead  to  no  good. 
This  was  the  only  pleasure  Reuben  had  on  the 
melancholy  journey.  What  Jacob’s  feelings  were 
when  he  saw  them  returning  without  Simeon,  who 
had  been  kept  as  a  hostage,  we  do  not  know;  but 
they  were  nothing  to  his  despair  when  informed 
that  Benjamin  was  to  accompany  them  on  the  second 
expedition. 

The  orator  of  the  family  was  Judah;  it  was  his 
pleading  that  finally  persuaded  the  old  man  to  part 
with  Benjamin,  and  it  was  Judah’s  masterly  speech 
before  Joseph  that  annihilated  the  barriers  between 
them.  It  would  have  softened  the  heart  of  a  sterner 
listener  than  he.  Joseph  broke  down  and  wept 
aloud.  There  is  no  recognition  scene  in  Greek 
drama  finer  than  this. 

The  story  is  complete  as  it  stands;  but  how  I 
wish  little  Benjamin  had  spoken!  When  Joseph 
first  saw  him — “Is  this  your  younger  brother?  God 
be  gracious  unto  thee,  my  son.” 

Now  I  would  give  much  to  know  what  Benjamin 
replied  to  this  greeting.  But  Joseph  could  not  wait 
to  hear;  looking  on  the  face  of  his  brother,  whom 
he  loved  more  than  the  whole  world,  he  knew  his 


FOUR  GREAT  PERSONALITIES  43 


feelings  would  betray  him.  He  hastily  left  the 
room,  and  wept  in  solitude. 

When  old  Jacob  was  brought  before  Pharaoh, 
we  cannot  restrain  a  feeling  of  pity  for  the  wretched 
old  man,  who  all  his  life  long  had  experienced  pros¬ 
perity  without  happiness.  The  Emperor  asked 
him,  “How  old  art  thou?”  and  he  replied: 

The  days  of  the  years  of  my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and 
thirty  years;  few  and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of  my 
life  been. 

After  giving  a  separate  blessing  to  each  of  his 
twelve  sons — in  which  the  supremacy  of  Judah  is 
distinctly  foretold — and  to  the  two  sons  of  Joseph, 
Jacob  died,  and  at  his  own  request  was  buried  in  the 
family  lot,  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  where  reposed 
Abraham,  Sarah,  Isaac,  Rebekah,  and  Leah.  But 
when  Joseph  died  his  embalmed  body  was  placed  in 
a  coffin  in  Egypt,  the  home  of  his  triumph,  glory  and 
final  happiness.  Later  his  bones  were  carried  out 
of  Egypt  and  buried  in  the  Promised  Land. 


MOSES 


A  Great  Man — His  Meekness — Life  in  Egypt — His 
Failure  as  a  Public  Speaker — The  Ten  Plagues — The 
Events  in  the  Wilderness — Laws  and  Law-Courts — 
Jethro — The  Ten  Commandments — The  Calf  of  Gold 
— Death  of  Moses. 


Ill 


MOSES 

Just  as  in  the  American  Revolution  and  again  in 
the  Civil  War  there  appeared  a  Leader  of  genius, 
without  whose  wisdom,  patience  and  unselfishness 
the  result  might  in  each  case  have  been  quite  other 
than  fortunate,  so  in  the  critical  period  of  early 
Israelitish  history — the  residence  in  Egypt  and  the 
wanderings  in  the  wilderness — there  rose  from  the 
ranks  a  leader,  law-giver  and  stateman — Moses. 
He  must  be  called  a  great  man.  His  public  acts 
and  private  character  are  alike  admirable.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  books  written  about  him  by  theologians 
and  Bible  students,  he  has  been  the  subject  of  secular 
examination.  Forty  years  ago  I  heard  a  lecture 
delivered  by  Henry  George  on  “Moses,  the  Great 
Hebrew  Statesman,”  and  in  1920  a  book  was  pub¬ 
lished  by  a  scientific  man,  called  “Moses  the  Physi¬ 
cian,”  praising  his  learning,  his  foresight,  and  espe¬ 
cially  his  belief  in  cleanliness  and  segregation  of 
disease. 

A  famous  parenthesis  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
Numbers  tells  something  definite  about  his  char¬ 
acter:  “Now  the  man  Moses  was  very  meek,  above 

47 


48  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


all  the  men  which  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.” 

This  passage  has  damaged  the  prestige  of  Moses 
with  modern  readers;  Moses,  “the  meekest  man,” 
has  seemed  a  milksop.  For  although  many  persons 
are  in  reality  mild  and  timid,  they  like  to  be  thought 
of  as  bold,  aggressive,  and  fierce.  The  difficulty 
here  is  in  the  word  “meek,”  which  in  1611  had  a 
nobler  connotation  than  in  later  times.  It  then 
meant  gentle  in  manner,  modest,  and  above  all  self- 
controlled,  the  crown  of  courage  and  strength. 
Meekness  was  the  finest  attribute  of  warriors  and 
kings.  When  Chaucer  made  his  picture  of  the 
Knight,  a  first-class  fighting  man,  the  hero  of  many 
wars,  he  added  this  touch : 

And  though  that  he  were  worthy,  he  was  wys, 

And  of  his  port  as  meek  as  is  a  mayde. 

He  nevere  yet  no  vileinye  ne  sayde 
In  al  his  lyf,  unto  no  maner  wight. 

He  was  a  verray  parfit  gentil  knight. 

Both  in  the  Psalms  and  in  the  Gospels  we  are 
told  that  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth.  It  has 
been  said  cynically  that  this  is  indeed  the  only  way 
by  which  the  meek  could  get  it.  Yes,  but  how  about 
the  violent  and  predatory?  What  success  have  they 
had?  Consider  Alexander,  Napoleon,  and  the 
German  Emperor  Wilhelm  II.  They  were  rather 
the  opposite  of  meek.  They  tried  to  control  the 
earth,  with  what  result  is  history.  There  is  in 
reality  no  strength  like  the  strength  of  meekness. 


MOSES 


49 


That  Moses  was  the  meekest  man  in  ancient  history 
is  the  best  thing  said  about  him. 

“I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,”  is  a  portion  of 
the  autobiography  of  the  only  Person  who  ever  over¬ 
came  the  world. 

Like  many  great  statesmen,  Moses  was  not  a  fine 
public  speaker.  We  are  apt  to  believe  that  oratory 
is  the  main  qualification  for  public  life;  whereas 
wisdom,  foresight,  and  courage  are  superior  to 
rhetorical  gifts.  Daniel  Webster  was  a  supreme 
illustration  of  the  combination  of  mental  and  oral 
powers;  but  much  of  the  most  important  work  in 
statesmanship  is  done  in  committees,  and  by  men 
who  cannot  make  an  impressive  public  address.  I 
suppose  Benjamin  Franklin  was  the  greatest  com¬ 
mittee  man  in  history;  one  of  the  ablest  American 
constructive  statesman  of  our  time,  Herbert  Hoover, 
is  not  an  effective  orator.  President  Hayes  gave  the 
United  States  one  of  the  best  administrations  we 
have  had;  he  also  was  no  speech-maker.  On  his 
feet  Grover  Cleveland  was  dull,  but  he  had  the  wit 
to  know  it. 

At  the  outset  of  his  career,  Moses  said  unto  the 
Lord:  “O  my  Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent,  neither  here¬ 
tofore,  nor  since  thou  hast  spoken  unto  thy  ser¬ 
vant;  but  I  am  slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue.” 
(“I  am  so  bad  an  orator  that  I  cannot  talk  effectively 
even  when  divinely  inspired.”)  That  which  is  the 
very  breath  of  life  to  many  politicians,  public  speak¬ 
ing,  was  always  a  terror  to  Moses;  there  was  noth- 


50  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


ing  he  hated  more.  Like  almost  all  men,  Moses 
failed  as  an  after-dinner  speaker,  as  we  learn  from 
his  lack  of  success  immediately  after  the  fall  of 
manna. 

Aaron,  the  Levite,  was  selected  to  do  the  talking; 
he  was  inferior  to  Moses,  both  in  intelligence  and 
in  character;  “he  shall  be  to  thee  instead  of  a  mouth, 
and  thou  shalt  be  to  him  instead  of  God.”  Moses 
was  to  tell  Aaron  what  to  say,  and  Aaron  was  to 
say  it  with  emphasis  and  elegance.  This  worked 
well;  but  when  Aaron,  in  the  absence  of  Moses, 
relied  on  his  own  ideas,  the  result  was  disaster. 

Perhaps  Moses  would  have  produced  a  more 
speedy  effect  on  the  hard  heart  of  King  Pharaoh, 
if  he  had  had  the  gift  of  public  speaking.  It  w^as 
all  Pharaoh  could  do  to  listen  to  him,  and  the  royal 
personage  was  not  impressed.  But  Moses  held  the 
trumps,  as  his  adversary  eventually  discovered. 

Labour  troubles  began  in  Egypt,  as  they  have 
begun  in  some  other  countries,  by  oppression.  The 
good  king,  Joseph’s  friend,  was  dead;  and  one  of 
his  successors  on  the  throne  took  a  familiar  and 
natural,  though  erroneous,  policy  toward  the  numer¬ 
ous  and  powerful  aliens  in  the  land.  He  looked 
about  him  and  saw  that  the  Israelites  were  many  in 
number  and  successful  in  business;  that  is,  they  were 
adding  to  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  country. 
(Most  natives  have  never  been  able  to  endure  this.) 
Had  the  king  dealt  kindly  with  the  Jews,  there  is 
no  saying  what  might  have  been  the  greatness  of 


MOSES 


51 


Egypt,  and  the  glory  of  the  ruler;  but  human  nature 
cannot  be  expected  to  show  the  wisdom  of  gentle¬ 
ness  and  the  conquering  power  of  good  will. 
Pharaoh  said  to  his  courtiers,  “Come  on,  let  us 
deal  wisely  with  them.”  (Now  the  wisdom  of  this 
world  is  foolishness  with  God.)  “Therefore  they 
did  set  over  them  taskmasters  to  afflict  them  with 
their  burdens.” 

The  service  increased  in  rigour  and  cruelty,  and 
the  workers  grew  ever  more  numerous  and  strong; 
so  the  policy  of  extermination  was  decided  upon; 
instead  of  changing  the  medicine,  he  increased  the 
dose.  But  it  is  difficult  to  subdue  human  beings  by 
severity,  and  the  Irsaelites  found  a  way  to  escape 
extinction.  Then  a  man  and  wife,  both  of  the  house 
of  Levi,  had  a  handsome  boy;  his  mother  hid  him 
in  the  reeds  by  the  river.  When  Pharaoh’s  daughter 
looked  into  the  basket,  the  baby  began  to  cry;  about 
the  only  time  in  his  life  when  his  eloquence  had  an 
immediate  effect;  it  should  be  remembered  that  his 
audience  was  composed  of  women.  By  a  neat  de¬ 
vice,  his  own  mother  was  hired  as  nurse;  the  child 
grew  up  under  her  care,  and  under  the  protection 
of  the  Princess.  Pharaoh’s  daughter  not  only  saved 
him,  but  gave  him  his  name  Moses,  which  means 
Drawer  Out;  and  she  said,  “Because  I  drew  him 
out  of  the  water.”  She  named  him  better  than  she 
knew;  for  he  drew  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
slavery.  She  was  a  good  girl,  and  I  wish  we  knew 
more  about  her. 


52  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


We  are  ignorant  of  the  facts  of  Moses’s  child¬ 
hood  and  adolescence.  His  first  recorded  act  as  a 
man  was  harshly  resolute,  and  prophetic  of  his  future 
powers  of  deliverance.  He  saw  an  Egyptian  beat¬ 
ing  up  a  Hebrew,  and  he  killed  the  tormentor.  But 
the  next  day  he  saw  two  of  his  own  people  fighting; 
and  endeavouring  to  restrain  them,  he  spoke  to  the 
aggressor,  who  insulted  him  by  asking  him  if  he 
meant  to  murder,  as  he  had  murdered  the  Egyptian. 
This  was  the  first  of  a  long  succession  of  insults  that 
Moses  was  to  receive  from  his  countrymen. 

Moses  fled,  entered  the  land  of  Midian,  and 
there  married  one  of  the  seven  daughters  of  Jethro. 
This  man  Jethro,  being  grateful  for  “meek”  Moses’s 
services  in  standing  up  alone  for  his  daughters 
against  a  whole  pack  of  roughs,  treated  him  kindly. 
It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  Moses  unconsciously 
prepared  himself  for  the  position  of  leader  of  the 
nation  by  living  the  quiet,  reflective  life  of  a  shep¬ 
herd,  which  was  later  David’s  occupation  before 
becoming  a  king. 

It  was  while  Moses  was  keeping  the  flocks  of  his 
father-in-law,  that  he  experienced  the  first  of  many 
divine  revelations,  and  knew  that  he  had  been 
selected  as  the  inspired  leader.  He  saw  a  flame  of 
fire  in  the  midst  of  a  bush,  and  yet  the  bush  was 
not  consumed.  Moses  turned  to  look  at  it  out  of 
curiosity;  but  when  he  heard  the  voice  calling  to 
him  from  the  flame,  and  answered,  “Here !”  like  a 
boy  at  school,  he  was  told  to  come  no  nearer.  Then 


MOSES 


53 


he  hid  his  face,  for  he  was  afraid  to  look  upon  God. 
After  receiving  his  commission,  he  rather  boldly 
enquired,  What  name  shall  I  use  in  speaking  of  the 
Divine  Voice  ? 

To  this  question  he  received  a  reply  that  shows 
how  profoundly  spiritual  the  religion  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites  was,  and  how  superior  to  all  their  contempo¬ 
raries  they  were  in  their  conception  not  only  of  One 
God,  but  of  that  God  as  Pure  Spirit.  Compare  this 
not  only  with  the  paganism  and  polytheism  so  com¬ 
mon  in  the  wrorld,  but  with  such  a  familiar  and 
childish  notion  as  le  bon  Dieu;  where  half  the  people 
use  the  expression  naively,  and  the  other  half  with 
condescending  contempt.  Moses  was  told  to  say 
unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  I  AM  had  sent  him. 
No  modern  philosophy  has  been  able  to  define  the 
Supreme  Reality  with  more  accuracy,  brevity  and 
dignity.  With  God  it  is  always  the  present  tense; 
man  is  quickly  in  the  past. 

Moses,  like  most  of  his  race,  was  not  easily  con¬ 
vinced  even  by  God;  and  he  knew  that  the  people 
would  be  sceptical  of  his  story  unless  he  could  prove 
it.  So  he  was  allowed  to  perform  a  variety  of 
miracles;  his  rod  turned  into  a  snake,  his  hand 
became  leprous  and  whole  again,  and  greater  works 
were  promised. 

Pharaoh,  like  other  kings,  did  one  good  thing; 
he  died.  It  is  extremely  fortunate  for  the  good  of 
the  world  that  kings  have  shared  this  peculiarity 
with  their  subjects;  it  is  probable  that  Death  has 


54  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


done  much  toward  making  the  world  safe  for  de¬ 
mocracy.  To  be  sure,  a  new  Pharaoh  appeared, 
who  was  no  improvement;  but  that  particular  one 
could  torment  the  world  no  longer. 

Moses  and  Aaron  went  in  to  interview  the  king, 
but  it  is  plain  that  he  regarded  them  as  dangerous 
radicals,  labour-agitators;  so  far  from  listening  to 
them,  he  tried  the  method  subsequently  adopted  by 
Rehoboam  and  by  many  rulers  in  more  recent  times. 
He  attempted  to  crush  their  spirit  by  increased  se¬ 
verity,  a  plan  which  has  many  ardent  advocates  in 
all  epochs,  though  history  seems  to  prove  its  inade¬ 
quacy.  “Let  there  more  work  be  laid  upon  the 
men,  that  they  may  labour  therein;  and  let  them 
not  regard  vain  words.”  (“I’ll  show  them!”) 

Thus  the  brilliant  scheme  was  adopted  of  having 
the  Israelites  make  bricks  without  straw,  which 
brought  about  so  acute  a  crisis  in  the  labour  situa¬ 
tion  that  it  will  never  be  forgotten.  I  remember 
being  a  listener  to  a  debate  in  the  House  of  Com¬ 
mons  in  1900,  when  a  Conservative,  who  was  con¬ 
spicuously  lacking  in  talent,  attempted  to  make  a 
speech  amidst  the  heckling  of  the  turbulent  Irish 
members;  he  was  describing  work  on  some  public 
building,  and  he  proceeded  as  far  as  the  unfortunate 
word  “bricks”;  instantly  the  Irishmen  roared  out 
as  though  the  chorus  had  been  carefully  rehearsed: 
“Bricks  without  straw!”  and  the  speech  was  buried 
in  derisive  laughter. 

If  Abraham  was  the  father  of  the  children  of 


MOSES 


55 


Israel,  Pharaoh  was  the  father  of  the  Bourbons. 
He  learned  nothing  and  forgot  nothing.  He  called 
in  his  magicians  and  had  them  attempt  to  rival  the 
enchantments  of  Moses  and  Aaron;  this  is  the  first 
time  the  competitive  method  appears,  which  later 
was  to  be  used  with  such  success  by  the  prophet 
Elijah.  The  spectacle  interested  the  royal  observer, 
but  it  hardened  his  heart  against  Moses.  It  now 
became  necessary  to  make  a  demonstration  that 
should  affect  the  whole  Egyptian  people;  and  we 
have  the  dramatic  series  called  the  Ten  Plagues — 
a  tragedy  in  ten  acts,  ending  with  a  climax.  The 
horrible  events  came  in  this  order: 


I.  Blood. 

II.  Frogs. 

III.  Lice. 

IV.  Flies. 

V.  Murrain. 


VI.  Boils  and  Blains. 

VII.  Thunder  and  Hail. 

VIII.  Locusts. 

IX.  Darkness. 

X.  Death  of  the  Firstborn. 


Aaron  stretched  out  his  rod:  the  water  in  the  Nile 
turned  into  blood,  as  well  as  every  pond,  pool,  and 
creek;  even  the  waters  in  the  kitchen  pans  became 
blood,  and  an  intolerable  stench  arose  from  dead 
fish.  This  lasted  seven  days;  and  the  magicians, 
trying  their  technique,  found  that  they  could  turn 
water  into  blood  just  as  easily  as  their  rivals.  Their 
real  prowess  would  have  been  better  proved  if  they 
had  reversed  the  process;  as  it  was,  they  merely 
added  to  the  general  discomfort.  Pharaoh  was  no 
more  affected  by  the  blood  than  if  he  had  been 


56  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Louis  XV.  Kings  have  seldom  been  afraid  of  blood; 
and  nothing  on  earth  is  more  stubborn  than  your 
true  reactionary.  Then  came  millions  of  frogs; 
the  Egyptian  magicians,  apparently  pleased  with  this 
miracle,  tried  their  enchantments  and  found  that 
they  could  increase  the  population  of  frogs,  though 
there  seem  to  have  been  plenty  without  their  assist¬ 
ance.  But  the  king  did  not  like  frogs,  and  he  sent 
for  Moses  and  Aaron.  It  appears  to  me  that  the 
stupidity  of  this  monarch  reached  its  climax  in  the 
answer  he  made  to  the  question  put  by  Moses;  the 
Hebrew  asked:  “When  shall  I  make  supplication 
that  the  frogs  return  to  the  river?”  The  king 
answered:  “Tomorrow.”  If  he  had  had  rudi¬ 
mentary  common  sense,  he  would  have  said,  Today; 
this  minute . 

Next  day  the  frogs  died  just  where  they  were; 
and  for  a  time  they  were  more  potent  dead  than 
alive.  But  no  more  came;  and  Pharaoh  refused  to 
let  the  Hebrews  go.  Then  came  lice,  billions  of 
them;  they  covered  every  man  and  beast  in  Egypt. 
Pharaoh  paid  no  attention  to  them;  he  may  have 
noticed  nothing  unusual. 

The  magicians,  who  had  been  conspicuously  suc¬ 
cessful  with  the  frogs,  tried  to  create  lice;  but  here 
they  failed  and  were  then  convinced  that  Moses  and 
Aaron  were  inspired.  Their  professional  admira¬ 
tion  for  their  competitors,  in  whom  they  now  recog¬ 
nised  masters  in  their  own  art,  was  so  great  that  it 
exceeded  their  fear  of  the  king;  they  told  him  what 


MOSES  57 

they  thought  about  the  situation,  but  Pharaoh 
would  not  listen. 

Then  came  the  flies;  it  was  unendurable;  Pharaoh 
spoke  to  Moses,  who  abolished  the  plague ;  immedi¬ 
ately  the  king  was  himself  again.  Then  came  mur¬ 
rain,  a  pestilence  which  destroyed  all  the  cattle; 
Pharaoh  was  interested  sufficiently  to  make  enquiries 
as  to  the  extent  of  the  disease;  but  he  remained  Arm. 
Then  came  boils,  which  later  were  to  try  the  patience 
of  Job,  but  the  king  would  not  relent.  Then  there 
was  a  frightful  storm,  thunder  and  lightning  and 
hail,  which  wrought  untold  damage  to  man,  beast, 
and  crops.  Pharaoh  could  not  endure  it,  and  he 
said  quaintly:  “I  have  sinned  this  time.”  The  storm 
ceased,  carrying  Pharaoh’s  repentance  with  it. 
There  came  a  fresh  east  wind,  bringing  numberless 
locusts,  which  ate  up  everything  that  the  hail  had 
spared,  so  that  the  farms  looked  as  if  recently 
visited  by  the  army  worm.  Pharaoh  had  another 
attack  of  remorse;  the  west  wind  came  and  blew  the 
accursed  locusts  into  the  Red  Sea,  so  that  there  was 
not  one  left  in  the  whole  country. 

A  friend  writes  me:  “I  wonder  do  you  know  of 
the  locust  plague  in  Jerusalem,  during  the  war? 
The  locusts  came  ‘out  of  the  clear  sky,’  suddenly. 
They  ate  every  vegetable  thing  except  wood,  strip¬ 
ping  a  tree  to  its  bare  twigs  and  branches  within 
an  hour.  The  government  ordered  everyone  to 
bring  in  his  peck  or  so  of  dead  insects  each  day. 
The  poor  earned  their  living,  collecting  the  daily 


58  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


quota  for  others.  Tin  is  the  best  offensive.  The 
American  colony’s  special  technique  was  to  ‘shoo’ 
the  insects  along  converging,  low,  tin-walled  canals 
into  sunken  gasolene  tins.  But  this  seemed  like  try¬ 
ing  to  empty  the  ocean  with  a  medicine  dropper. 
Finally,  when  no  green  thing  is  left,  the  plague 
passes  on,  abruptly.  And  no  one  knows  whither 
the  locusts  go,  as  no  one  knew  whence  they  came.” 

The  plague  of  locusts  was  followed  by  Egyptian 
darkness,  thick  darkness  for  three  days,  so  that  no 
man  could  see  and  no  man  dared  move.  Pharaoh 
sent  for  Moses,  and  when  the  darkness  was  lifted 
and  the  pleasant  light  returned,  he  said  bitterly  to 
the  man  of  God : 

Get  thee  from  me,  take  heed  to  thyself,  see  my 
face  no  more;  for  in  that  day  thou  seest  my  face 
thou  shalt  die. 

And  Moses  said,  Thou  hast  spoken  well,  I  will  see 
thy  face  again  no  more. 

Then  came  the  last  terrible  plague,  the  killing  of 
the  firstborn  in  the  night,  and  the  first  passover, 
when  the  Lord  passed  over  the  favoured  people; 
an  event  that  is  still  annually  and  solemnly  cele¬ 
brated  by  millions. 

There  arose  a  great  cry  in  Egypt;  both  the  king 
and  the  people  besought  the  aliens  to  depart.  In 
the  midst  of  this  turmoil,  there  is  one  touch  of 
humour.  The  children  of  Israel  “borrowed”  of  the 
Egyptians  jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of  gold,  and 
raiment. 


MOSES 


59 


They  had  been  in  Egypt  four  hundred  and  thirty 
years  when  the  great  exodus  began;  and  then  they 
were  not  allowed  to  take  the  short  way  to  the 
Promised  Land  through  the  country  of  the  Philis¬ 
tines,  but  were  led  south-east  to  the  Red  Sea.  In 
front  was  the  Pillar  of  Cloud  by  day  and  the  Pillar 
of  Fire  by  night. 

Pharaoh  ought  to  have  been  glad  to  see  the  last 
of  them;  but  either  he  regretted  his  defeat  or  the 
loss  of  the  borrowed  jewels;  he  pursued  them  with 
chariots  and  horsemen;  so  the  Israelites,  who  pre¬ 
ferred  life  to  honour  and  slavery  to  death,  bitterly 
attacked  Moses  and  for  the  first  time  raised  a  pro¬ 
test  that  was  to  be  heard  more  than  once:  “We  were 
better  off  in  Egypt.” 

But  the  Red  Sea  opened;  the  timid  and  querulous 
multitude  passed  through  in  safety.  Then  in  the 
darkest  hour  before  the  dawn  the  waters  returned 
and  swallowed  up  the  Egyptian  host,  soldiers,  char¬ 
iots,  and  horsemen.  And  in  the  morning  light  the 
children  of  Israel  saw  the  pleasantest  sight  their 
eyes  had  ever  beheld. 

“Israel  saw  the  Egyptians  dead  upon  the  sea 
shore.” 

I  remember  hearing  Phillips  Brooks  preach  a 
notable  sermon  on  that  text.  We  may  have  sorrows 
in  the  future;  we  may  have  enemies  tomorrow;  but 
there  are  difficulties,  there  are  evils  that  we  survive. 
They  can  never  annoy  us  again.  “Israel  saw  the 
Egyptians  dead  upon  the  sea  shore.” 


60  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  immediate  troubles  of  the  Hebrews  were 
over;  the  troubles  of  Moses  began.  He  had  more 
vexations  with  his  own  people  than  he  had  had  with 
his  avowed  enemies.  Human  nature  asserted  itself 
in  the  wilderness.  In  spite  of  their  great  deliverance 
and  the  mighty  evidence  of  God’s  favour  and  of  the 
inspiration  of  Moses,  the  people  were  constantly 
discontented;  they  were  always  on  the  point  of  re¬ 
bellion.  The  genius  for  complaining,  which  is  in¬ 
herently  human,  found  almost  daily  expression;  until 
the  patience  of  Moses  was  exhausted. 

The  shortest  distance  from  Egypt  to  the  Promised 
Land  is  considerably  less  than  the  distance  from 
Philadelphia  to  New  York;  so  far  as  miles  were 
concerned,  Canaan  could  have  been  reached  in  a 
week.  But  Israel  was  not  fit  to  occupy  Canaan  or 
indeed  any  other  country,  as  the  behaviour  in  the 
wilderness  abundantly  proved.  The  famous  Eliza¬ 
bethan  “atheist,”  Marlowe,  said  that  Moses  was  a 
miserable  leader,  because  it  took  him  forty  years 
to  lead  his  people  a  short  distance;  he  could  have 
done  much  better  himself.  These  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness,  however,  were  necessary;  and  never  did 
a  leader  and  statesman  show  finer  capacity  for  meet¬ 
ing  both  chronic  and  acute  difficulties. 

Furthermore,  during  these  wanderings  a  complete 
system  of  laws,  both  moral  and  technical,  became 
established;  the  health  of  the  people  was  cared  for 
by  a  definite  set  of  hygienic  regulations;  the  ritual 
for  worship  was  proclaimed.  The  Israelites  reached 


MOSES 


61 


Canaan  when,  and  not  before,  they  were  mentally 
and  physically  fit  to  settle  there. 

It  was  perhaps  natural  that  in  comparison  with 
the  privations  and  hardships  of  the  wilderness, 
Egypt  looked  good;  they  saw  it  only  in  retrospect 
and,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  the  difficulties  of  the 
past  faded  out  of  the  picture,  and  they  remembered 
only  their  homes  and  their  regular  meals,  as  indeed 
a  free  man  will  sometimes  during  a  vacation  spent 
in  voluntary  camping.  They  complained  of  the 
lack  of  food,  so  manna  rained  down  from  heaven. 
It  covered  the  ground  like  a  frost,  was  white  to  the 
eye  and  sweet  to  the  taste.  When  the  people  com¬ 
plained  of  thirst  and  nearly  mobbed  Moses,  he  was 
divinely  ordered  to  strike  a  rock,  and  pure  water 
gushed  out.  These  are  some  of  the  chief  events 
that  were  recorded  during  the  journey. 

One  day,  Jethro,  Moses’s  father-in-law,  appeared 
on  the  scene,  bringing  the  wife  of  Moses  and  their 
two  sons.  On  the  next  day,  Moses  took  his  regular 
place  as  a  judge,  and  began  to  hear  complaints  and 
cases  of  all  kinds,  both  little  and  big.  The  petition¬ 
ers  had  to  stand  in  line  for  hours,  and  justice  was 
almost  as  slow  as  it  is  now.  Jethro  watched  the 
proceedings  awhile,  and  then  told  Moses  that  all 
this  would  wear  both  him  and  the  nation  out;  he 
advised  that  Moses  select  a  number  of  able  and 
upright  judges,  who  could  settle  relatively  unim¬ 
portant  cases,  while  Moses  should  be  the  Supreme 
Court.  This  admirable  counsel  was  followed;  and 


62  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


so  the  children  of  Israel  not  only  had  a  set  of  laws 
and  ordinances,  but  a  court  system  to  administer 
them.  Then  the  good  Jethro  departed  into  his  own 
land,  and  we  see  his  face  no  more.  So  far  as  I 
know,  there  is  no  further  allusion  to  him  in  the 
Bible.  But  he  ought  not  to  be  forgotten. 

The  laws  established  by  Moses  were  fair  and 
reasonable,  and  in  all  that  concerned  man’s  dealing 
with  man  were  adapted  to  the  times  and  the  people. 
They  often  went  beyond  mere  scrupulosity,  and 
enjoined  kindness  to  strangers,  gentleness  to  widow's 
and  orphans,  and  consideration  for  animals.  The 
nineteenth  chapter  of  Leviticus  contains  rules  that 
ought  to  be  remembered  to  the  eternal  honour  of 
their  maker.  People  were  forbidden  to  reap  the 
corners  of  their  farms;  gleanings  must  be  left  for 
the  poor  and  the  stranger.  Labourers  must  be  paid 
at  the  end  of  the  day’s  work;  “the  wages  of  him  that 
is  hired  shall  not  abide  with  thee  all  night  until  the 
morning.”  Cruel  practical  jokes  were  forbidden; 
no  doubt  some  boys  thought  such  things  were  funny. 
“Thou  shalt  not  curse  the  deaf”  (I  have  heard 
American  boys  do  this)  “nor  put  a  stumbling-block 
before  the  blind.”  Rich  and  poor  were  to  be  treated 
exactly  alike  in  court.  “Thou  shalt  not  go  up  and 
down  as  a  tale-bearer.”  Courtesy  and  etiquette 
were  taught  by  law.  “Thou  shalt  rise  up  before 
the  hoary  head,  and  honour  the  face  of  the  old  man.” 
They  must  see  to  it  that  they  have  just  balances  and 
just  weights. 


MOSES 


63 


Those  who  maintain  that  the  Mosaic  Law  was 
harsh  and  cruel  should  remember  that  the  following 
verses  are  in  Leviticus,  though  many  seem  to  have 
forgotten  the  fact: 

Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy  brother  in  thine  heart. 

Thou  shalt  not  avenge,  nor  bear  any  grudge  against  the 
children  of  thy  people,  but  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 
thyself. 

When  Our  Lord  gave  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
commandments,  he  was  quoting  from  Moses,  as 
He  was  when  He  said:  “I  will  give  you  rest.” 

The  presence  of  laws  forbidding  many  strange 
sins  and  crimes  seems  to  indicate  that  so-called  un¬ 
natural  evils  were  known  to  exist  there  and  then, 
as  they  have  in  all  nations  since. 

There  was  the  same  fondness  for  superstition  and 
the  same  eagerness  to  be  gulled  as  there  is  today. 
“Regard  not  them  that  have  familiar  spirits,  neither 
seek  after  wizards.” 

The  Ten  Commandments,  which  have  had  such 
a  prodigious  influence  in  human  history,  are  all  pro¬ 
hibitions  except  one.  The  chief  sins  are  forbidden 
in  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  and  it  would  be  difficult 
indeed  to  have  arranged  at  that  time  a  list  of  regu¬ 
lations  that  would  have  covered  a  wider  area  of 
human  conduct  with  fewer  words. 

Clouds  and  darkness  surrounded  Mount  Sinai 
at  the  giving  of  the  Fundamental  Law. 

There  were  thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick  cloud  upon 


64  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  mount,  and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud;  so 
that  all  the  people  that  was  in  the  camp  trembled. 

And  Moses  brought  forth  the  people  out  of  the  camp  to  meet 
with  God;  and  they  stood  at  the  nether  part  of  the  mount. 

And  Sinai  was  altogether  on  a  smoke,  because  the  Lord 
descended  upon  it  in  fire;  and  the  smoke  thereof  ascended  as 
the  smoke  of  a  furnace,  and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly. 

And  when  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  sounded  long,  and  waxed 
louder  and  louder,  Moses  spake,  and  God  answered  him  by  a 
voice. 

Although  many  in  the  audience  forgot  to  keep 
these  commandments,  it  is  certain  that  no  one  forgot 
the  day  and  the  manner  of  their  announcing. 

I.  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me. 

In  the  ancient  world,  man  was  polytheistic;  here 
was  the  promulgation  of  one  Divine  Principle.  Lit¬ 
erally  translated,  it  reads:  “You  shall  have  no  gods 
except  me.”  More  and  more,  this  commandment 
is  seen  to  be  the  expression  of  philosophical  truth. 
Later,  the  children  of  Israel  ran  after  other  gods 
with  tragic  consequences;  and  in  the  twentieth  cen¬ 
tury,  the  German  Empire  broke  the  first  command¬ 
ment,  worshipping  the  gods  of  iron  and  steel  as 
revealed  to  man  in  huge  armaments.  This  is  now 
a  common  form  of  paganism,  perhaps  the  most  pop¬ 
ular  religion  in  the  world,  numbering  more  adherents 
than  all  other  systems;  yet  it  is  an  illusion,  for  there 
is  only  one  God. 

And  just  as  nations  have  madly  worshipped  other 
gods,  so  individuals  have  constantly  substituted 


MOSES 


65 


other  gods  for  the  Ideal;  the  gods  of  money,  of 
influence,  of  pleasure,  of  social  position,  of  fame; 
most  common  of  all  and  most  tragically  absurd  is 
the  substitution  for  the  Eternal  Spirit  of  Truth  and 
Right — One’s  Own  Self. 

II.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  im¬ 
age  .  .  .  for  I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a 
jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third 
and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate 
me;  and  showing  mercy  unto  thousands  of 
them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  com¬ 
mandments. 

This  and  the  Fourth  are  the  longest  of  the  com¬ 
mandments,  containing  respectively  ninety-one  and 
ninety-four  words.  It  was  necessary  to  forbid  idol- 
worship,  to  which  the  Israelites  continually  surren¬ 
dered,  copying,  as  so  many  nations  do,  only  the  evil 
features  of  their  rivals ;  remember  how  Rachel, 
Jacob’s  wife,  stole  the  images  out  of  her  father’s 
house,  and  how  bitterly  ironical  was  the  language 
of  the  prophet  Isaiah  in  dealing  with  this  form  of 
superstition.  The  awful  words,  “I  am  a  jealous 
God,”  give  offence  to  many  people  today,  but  they 
are  a  statement  of  simple  fact.  Religion  is  the  most 
jealous  thing  in  the  world,  more  jealous  than  any 
woman.  There  is  only  one  place  in  the  human  heart 
for  religion — the  first  place.  It  must  have  that  or 
nothing.  It  must  either  dominate  a  man’s  life,  be 


66  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  supreme,  controlling  factor,  or  it  becomes  as 
ornamental  as  a  graven  image,  and  as  powerless. 
Those  who  use  religion  as  a  decoration,  or  as  a  last 
resort  in  fear  and  sickness,  betray  their  real  pagan¬ 
ism  in  brushing  it  aside  when  their  personal,  selfish 
interests  are  concerned.  Religion  is  never  content 
with  a  weekly  contribution,  or  a  large  occasional 
present,  or  a  tribute  of  courtesy;  religion  demands 
the  heart,  the  inmost  citadel;  and  unless  it  has  that, 
it  wants  nothing.  Either  religion  is  the  most  vital 
of  all  truths,  or  else  it  stands  for  silly  superstition, 
and  should  not  be  allowed  to  annoy  and  harass  con¬ 
duct,  any  more  than  Napoleon  permitted  it  to  inter¬ 
fere  with  his  purposes.  He  went  as  far  as  anyone 
has  gone  without  religion,  and  he  is  perhaps  more 
to  be  admired  than  those  who  wish  to  have  it  both 
ways,  like  a  man  who  gives  presents  to  his  wife,  and 
his  heart  to  some  one  else. 

The  last  part  of  this  commandment,  which  speaks 
of  the  remote  consequences  of  evil-doing  (and  also, 
be  it  remembered,  of  virtue)  particularly  enrages 
the  enemies  of  religion.  Thomas  Hardy  sneered  at 
it  in  Tess  of  the  D’Urbervilles,  saying  it  might  be 
good  enough  for  Divinity,  but  was  scorned  by  ave¬ 
rage  human  nature.  Precisely  so;  it  is  scorned  by 
average  human  nature,  which  is  one  reason  why 
there  are  so  many  unfit  children  born  into  the  world. 
Their  lifelong  weakness  and  suffering  come  from 
the  selfishness  of  their  ancestors,  who  scorned  this 
commandment,  just  as  they  scorned  the  established 


MOSES 


67 


truths  of  science,  of  which  this  is  a  powerful  affirma¬ 
tion.  The  second  commandment  will  be  supported 
by  every  family  physician,  and  by  students  of  society 
like  Henrik  Ibsen. 

III.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 

Godin  vain. 

Never  was  this  commandment  more  needed  than 
in  the  twentieth  century.  Swearing  is  instinctive  in 
human  nature ;  all  men  are  naturally  cursers,  but  that 
does  not  make  them  admirable.  There  has  been 
an  enormous  increase  in  swearing  within  recent 
years.  Of  all  habits,  it  is  the  most  difficult  to  break, 

IV.  Remember  the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep  it  holy . 

Six  days  shalt  thou  labour ,  and  do  all  thy 
work. 

An  old  divine  wisely  pointed  out  the  fact  that 
there  was  more  profanation  of  the  second  sentence 
than  of  the  first.  “Six  days  shalt  thou  labour.” 
If  this  commandment  were  universally  followed, 
there  would  be  enough  food,  fuel  and  clothing  for 
everyone  in  the  world.  Every  lazy,  idle,  and  useless 
person  breaks  the  fourth  commandment  six  times 
oftener  than  other  men.  The  first  clause  means: 
“Remember  the  day  of  rest  and  keep  it  inviolate.” 
Take  one  day  in  seven  off,  provided  you  have  earned 
it;  don’t  let  anything  interfere.  It  is  curious  that  so 
many  persons  have  thought  it  more  wicked  to  have 
recreation  on  Sunday  than  to  work.  Sunday  was 


68  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


never  meant  to  be  a  day  of  gloom;  it  ought  to  be  the 
happiest  day  in  the  week,  for  God  blessed  it.  The 
ideal  use  of  that  holiday  is  to  devote  it  to  religion 
and  recreation;  forget  business  and  the  regular 
round  of  toil.  Experience  seems  to  show  that  people 
need  one  day  in  seven;  the  French  Revolutionists 
tried  to  make  it  one  day  in  ten,  but  the  experiment 
was  not  successful.  An  excellent  way  to  spend  the 
day  is  to  go  to  church  and  thank  God  in  the  morn¬ 
ing,  and  enjoy  some  outdoor  sport  in  the  afternoon. 
The  Sabbath  was  established  for  man’s  health  and 
happiness,  as  our  Lord  pointed  out. 

V.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother:  that  thy 
days  may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee. 

It  is  often  called  “the  only  commandment  with 
promise,”  but  those  who  say  so  forget  the  Second. 
That  length  of  days  should  be  associated  with  filial 
affection  seems  curious;  for  some  cruel  sons  have 
lived  long.  But,  more  closely  examined,  it  is  not 
longevity,  but  continued  residence  on  the  family 
property  that  the  statement  emphasises.  Affection 
and  care  for  one’s  parents  keep  up  the  estate; 
neglect  of  them  means  wandering,  and  the  invasion 
of  strangers.  It  is  unfortunate  that  parents  love 
their  children  so  much  more  intensely  than  children 
love  their  parents ;  but  the  whirligig  of  time  brings 
in  his  revenges.  There  is  no  commandment  that 
parents  must  love  their  children,  for  the  command- 


MOSES  69 

ments  were  in  every  instance  directed  at  common 
sins. 

VI.  Thou  shalt  not  kill . 

Do  no  murder.  Some  extremists  have  held  that 
this  means  one  should  not  kill  a  quail  or  a  woodcock. 
Nonsense;  but  it  is  true  that  as  we  grow  older,  we 
more  and  more  appreciate  the  gift  of  life  and  hate 
to  take  it  away.  Few  young  people  think  shooting 
is  wrong;  but  there  are  plenty  of  conscientious  objec¬ 
tors  among  adults,  Thomas  Hardy,  for  example, 
and  Emerson,  who  said:  “Hast  thou  named  all  the 
birds  without  a  gun?”  A  little  common  sense  is 
useful  here,  as  elsewdiere;  the  wanton  destruction 
of  animals  is  no  doubt  wicked;  but  if  it  be  wrong  to 
go  out  and  shoot  an  occasional  partridge,  then  it  is 
even  more  wrong  to  kill  chickens.  For  you  feed 
chickens  and  pretend  that  you  are  interested  in  their 
welfare,  when  in  reality  you  are  a  traitor.  The 
wickedness  in  shooting  enormous  bags  of  game, 
raised  for  the  purpose,  consists  in  the  fact  that  many 
wounded  ones  escape,  and  while  you  are  eating  your 
dinner  and  talking  merrily  of  a  “good  day’s  sport,” 
these  wretched  creatures  are  in  agony. 

VII.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

Every  adulterer  is  also  a  liar  and  usually  a  sneak. 
It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  many  men  who  would 
not  lie  to  others  in  business,  will  break  their  word 
given  in  the  church  before  many  witnesses.  The 


70  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


reason  Is  largely  a  matter  of  cowardice.  If  a  man 
breaks  his  word  to  another  man,  penalties  follow, 
whereas  a  man  can  break  his  word  to  a  woman  with 
impunity.  But  adultery  is  founded  on  falsehood 
and  dishonour  fully  as  much  as  corrupt  dealing  in 
trade.  In  the  fifth  chapter  of  Numbers,  there  is  a 
strange  but  impressive  method  of  dealing  with 
jealousy  and  adultery. 

VIII.  Thou  shalt  not  steal . 

Which  ought  to  apply  as  much  to  embezzlement 
and  crooked  manipulations  as  to  house-breaking  or 
borrowing  apples. 

IX.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy 

neighbour. 

Which  refers,  I  suppose,  not  merely  to  perjury, 
but  to  slander  and  malicious  gossip. 

X.  Thou  shalt  not  covet. 

Observe  that  all  of  these  commandments  are 
meant  to  preserve  from  harm  those  who  accept 
them,  not  merely  those  who  might  be  victims.  It 
is  not  pleasant  to  have  a  thief  steal  from  you,  but 
it  is  much  better  for  you  than  to  steal  something 
yourself;  it  is  unfortunate  to  be  killed,  but  it  is 
better  than  to  go  out  and  kill  somebody.  That  is, 
the  commandments  were  not  only  necessary  for  the 
welfare  of  society,  but  fidelity  to  them  is  necessary 
for  individual  happiness.  The  tenth  is  wholly  de¬ 
voted  to  this  purpose ;  it  does  not  hurt  your  neigh- 


MOSES 


71 


bour  if  you  covet  his  house;  some  persons  are  so 
constituted  that  this  adds  to  their  delight;  but  it 
hurts  you  horribly  and  poisons  your  peace  of  mind. 
I  suppose  covetousness  of  one’s  neighbour’s  posses¬ 
sions  drives  more  people  into  financial  difficulties 
than  any  other  vice. 

The  twentieth  chapter  of  Exodus,  containing  the 
Ten  Commandments,  which  might  be  called  the 
Moral  Constitution,  is  immediately  followed  by  a 
succession  of  chapters,  which  might  be  called  the 
By-laws,  because  they  give  specific  regulations. 
Then  follow  detailed  directions  for  the  ritual  of 
worship;  very  tedious  reading  this  is  today,  but 
doubtless  important  then,  in  order  that  the  people 
might  have  ever  before  them  the  thought  of  Divine 
Leadership. 

Human  nature  lost  little  time  in  asserting  itself; 
despite  the  wonders  they  had  seen,  despite  the  ter¬ 
rible  majesty  of  the  promulgation  of  the  Law, 
what  do  we  hear  of  the  people’s  behaviour?  Well, 
they  did  exactly  what  millions  are  doing  today;  they 
forsook  the  worship  of  God  for  the  worship  of  the 
Golden  Calf.  Moses  could  not  trust  the  people  out 
of  his  sight;  they  behaved  like  bad  boys  in  the 
absence  of  the  teacher.  Moses  was  away  in  the 
mount;  and  the  children  of  Israel  said  to  Aaron: 
“Up,  make  us  gods,  which  shall  go  before  us;  for  as 
for  this  Moses,  the  man  that  brought  us  up  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt,  we  wot  not  what  is  become  of 
him.”  To  the  eternal  discredit  of  Aaron,  he  sur- 


72  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


rendered  to  mob  sentiment  at  just  the  moment  when 
a  strong  voice  was  most  necessary.  Apparently  the 
women  had  much  jewelry,  perhaps  the  finery  they 
had  “borrowed”  from  the  Egyptians;  Aaron  fash¬ 
ioned  the  whole  collection  into  the  form  of  a  golden 
calf  and  worshipped  it  with  song  and  dance. 

Imagine  the  feelings  of  Moses  coming  down  the 
mountain  with  the  two  tables  of  the  Law,  his  mind 
still  in  the  solemn  obsession  of  the  Divine  Presence. 
That  honest  young  lieutenant,  Joshua,  hearing  the 
racket  below,  said  to  Moses:  “There  is  a  noise  of 
war  in  the  camp.”  Moses  replied  crisply:  “It  is  not 
the  voice  of  them  that  shout  for  mastery,  neither 
is  it  the  voice  of  them  that  cry  for  being  overcome; 
but  the  noise  of  them  that  sing  do  I  hear.” 

He  made  up  his  mind  that  they  would  shortly 
sing  another  tune.  When  he  saw  the  calf  and  the 
idiotic  dancing  around  it,  ungovernable  rage  pos¬ 
sessed  him;  he  smashed  the  tables  he  was  holding. 
When  a  man  is  in  state  of  terrific  rage,  he  simply 
has  to  smash  something  or  burst;  it  is  an  immense 
relief  to  take  it  out  of  the  furniture. 

The  rest  of  this  narrative  is  downright  funny. 
Moses  took  the  golden  calf,  burnt  it,  powdered  the 
ashes,  made  a  soup  of  it,  and  forced  the  whole  con¬ 
gregation  to  drink  it!  If  you  want  your  calf,  down 
with  it.  Then  Aaron  behaved  even  worse  than 
Adam  in  Eden;  in  response  to  the  sharp  questions 
of  Moses,  he  said:  “You  know  these  people;  they 
are  always  bent  on  mischief.”  Then  he  declared 


MOSES 


73 


that  he  had  taken  their  golden  contribution.  “So 
they  gave  it  to  me;  then  I  cast  it  into  the  fire,  and 
there  came  out  this  calf.”  Was  there  ever  a  more 
ridiculous,  a  more  childish  lie?  Can’t  you  see  the 
liar’s  face? 

Observe  that  meek  Moses  was  not  rebuked  by 
God  for  smashing  the  tables;  he  was  given  new  ones 
in  their  place.  He  was  punished  for  only  one  thing 
— because  he  had  momentarily  lost  confidence  in 
God  at  the  waters  of  Meribah,  when  he  was  more 
afraid  of  popular  clamour  than  of  God  Himself. 
For  this  reason  he  was  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
Promised  Land. 

Moses  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  twenty  years 
old,  in  sound  bodily  and  mental  health.  His  eye 
was  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated.  His 
farewell  charge  to  the  people  is  filled  with  poetry 
and  splendid  imagery,  containing  many  promises 
and  many  warnings.  Like  all  persons,  they  needed 
advice,  received  it,  and  forgot  it.  Human  nature 
is  revealed  in  their  shortness  of  memory;  for  noth¬ 
ing  is  more  frequently  heard  than  good  advice,  and 
there  is  nothing  so  quickly  forgotten.  The  first 
alluring  picture  is  enough  to  drive  it  out  of  the 
mind. 

One  passage  in  this  farewell  speech  retains  its 
flavour:  “Thou  shalt  lend  unto  many  nations,  and 
thou  shalt  not  borrow.” 

Moses  stood  on  Pisgah  Heights,  on  Mount  Nebo, 
and  looked  with  what  emotion  we  can  only  imagine 


74  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


on  the  fair  panorama  of  Canaan.  Lie  could  not 
enter  it  any  more  than  Abraham  Lincoln  could  live 
to  see  the  growth  of  the  mighty  nation  he  had  saved. 
But  Moses,  though  he  had  little  confidence  in  the 
people,  knew  that  their  immediate  future  was  as¬ 
sured;  that  the  results  of  his  wisdom  and  foresight 
would  last  long;  he  saw  the  travail  of  his  soul  and 
was  satisfied. 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN 


Wilderness  Tragedies — Nadab  and  Abihu — Korak 
and  the  Earthquake — the  Spies — Horrors  of  War — 
Rahab — Fall  of  Jericho — A  chan — Death  of  Joshua — * 
Defeat  of  Sisera — Gideon  and  the  Desperado  Abime - 
lech — Story  of  Jephthah — Samson  and  His  Exploits — • 
Tragedy  in  the  Tribe  of  Benjamin. 


IV 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN 

There  were  terrible  adventures  in  the  wilderness; 
for  there  was  treason  in  high  places,  and  it  was 
punished  in  spectacular  style.  The  sons  of  Aaron — 
Nadab  and  Abihu — so  eloquently  mentioned  by 
Browning  in  One  Word  More — together  with  their 
father  and  Moses  and  seventy  elders,  went  up  the 
mountain  and  saw  the  glory  of  God. 

And  they  saw  the  God  of  Israel;  and  there  was  under  his 
feet  as  it  were  a  paved  work  of  a  sapphire  stone,  and  as  it  were 
the  body  of  heaven  in  his  clearness. 

Yet  later  Nadab  and  Abihu,  who  had  seen  the 
King  in  His  beauty,  offered  up  strange  fire  near 

Sinai,  and  instantly  perished.  So  quickly  forgotten 
then  and  now  is  the  Divine  Revelation;  forgotten  by 
those  especially  chosen  to  receive  it. 

Miriam,  the  Prophetess,  sister  of  Moses  and 
Aaron,  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  family  jealousy 
when  Moses  married  a  black  girl,  an  Ethiopian; 
but  her  method  of  revenge  was  strange,  and  the 
punishment  accurately  fitted  the  crime.  Together 
with  Aaron  she  started  a  sedition  and  was  smitten 


77 


78  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


with  leprosy;  as  much  as  to  say,  If  you  think  you 
are  better  than  your  sister-in-law  because  you  are 
white,  you  shall  be  even  whiter  by  contrast,  white 
as  snow.  The  leprosy  was  removed  at  the  entreaty 
of  Moses,  but  it  gave  Miriam  something  to  think 
about. 

Korah,  a  Levite,  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
princes,  men  of  renown,  started  an  open  rebellion 
against  Moses.  The  latter  felt  this  defection  in 
the  priest  tribe,  and  he  said  sharply:  “Ye  take  too 
much  upon  you,  ye  sons  of  Levi.”  The  next  day, 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  congregation  Moses 
called  upon  the  people  to  keep  away  from  Korah 
and  his  friends;  there  was  an  instant  and  dramatic 
separation,  as  if  Korah  had  some  horrible  and  con¬ 
tagious  disease,  and  the  doomed  men  stood  out  in 
appalling  loneliness. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  had  made  an  end  of  speaking  all 
these  words,  that  the  ground  clave  asunder  that  was  under 
them: 

And  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  them  up, 
and  their  houses,  and  all  the  men  that  appertained  unto  Korah, 
and  all  their  goods. 

They,  and  all  that  appertained  to  them,  went  down  alive  into 
the  pit,  and  the  earth  closed  upon  them ;  and  they  perished  from 
among  the  congregation. 

And  all  Israel  that  were  round  about  them  fled  at  the  cry 
of  them;  for  they  said,  Lest  the  earth  swallow  us  up  also. 

The  shrieks  of  the  sinking  rebels  must  have  rung 
in  the  people’s  ears  for  many  days;  yet  they  were 
soon  ready  to  rebel  and  to  worship  other  gods,  which 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  79 


is  the  way  of  all  flesh.  The  famous  story  of  Balaam 
and  his  ass  would  seem  to  indicate  that  in  spiritual 
insight  a  donkey  may  have  more  intelligence  than 
a  man. 

There  were  also  frightful  plagues,  devastating 
pestilences,  one  of  which  carried  off  fourteen  thou¬ 
sand  and  seven  hundred;  there  was  the  scene  of  the 
serpent  in  the  wilderness.  Yet  these  wonders  made 
no  permanent  impression,  for  the  children  of  Israel, 
like  those  of  other  nations,  were  more  interested  in 
their  food  than  in  their  souls.  Moses  needed  all  his 
meekness,  all  his  self-control,  to  deal  with  them. 

Spies  were  sent  out  into  the  Promised  Land,  and 
with  the  exception  of  two  stout-hearted  men,  Joshua 
and  Caleb,  they  brought  back  an  evil  report.  They 
said: 

It  is  a  land  that  eateth  up  the  inhabitants  thereof;  and  all 
the  people  that  we  saw  in  it  are  men  of  a  great  stature. 

And  there  we  saw  the  giants,  the  sons  of  Anak,  which  come 
of  the  giants;  and  we  were  in  our  own  sight  as  grasshoppers, 
and  so  we  were  in  their  sight. 

The  time  came,  however,  to  advance;  and  from 
now  on  the  history  of  Israel  is  like  the  history  of 
other  countries,  a  succession  of  wars.  The  progress 
of  the  world  has  been  made  through  bloodshed, 
wholesale  slaughter,  with  innumerable  and  unspeak¬ 
able  individual  cruelties.  The  triumphs  of  Israel 
are  no  exception;  they  came  at  the  expense  of  their 
antagonists  and  through  their  own  losses.  Children 
were  brutally  murdered  and  captive  women  became 


80  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  spoil  of  the  Chosen  People.  The  Promised 
Land  was  won;  a  land  flowing  with  milk  before  the 
Israelites  appeared;  then  the  milk  turned  to  rivers 
of  blood.  War  was  what  it  always  has  been;  crops 
and  property  were  destroyed,  babies  butchered, 
greed  and  sensuality  were  unrestrained.  The  sol¬ 
diers  of  Israel  were  “thorough”  and  carried  out  the 
policy  of  extermination  amid  the  braying  of  trump¬ 
ets  and  psalms  of  thanksgiving.  So  far  back  as  we 
can  trace  events  since  Adam,  man  has  lived  under 
a  curse. 

There  was  really  nothing  exceptional  in  the  fate 
of  Damocles;  in  the  midst  of  our  feasting  the  sword 
is  ever  over  us,  suspended  by  a  single  thread. 

As  Moses  was  a  statesman,  Joshua  was  a  soldier. 
His  predominant  qualities  were  strength  and  cour¬ 
age.  He  was  an  invader  by  divine  right.  Still  on 
the  east  of  the  Jordan,  he  sent  out  two  spies  to  enter 
the  first  important  city  near  the  other  bank,  the  city 
of  Jericho.  They  went  into  the  house  of  Rahab,  a 
harlot ;  women  of  this  profession  were  known  in  the 
beginning  of  history,  for  mention  is  made  of  them 
in  the  book  of  Genesis.  Rahab  had  the  two  men 
on  the  roof  of  her  house,  and  covered  them  with  the 
stalks  of  flax;  when  the  king  of  Jericho  enquired  for 
them  she  put  the  messengers  on  a  false  scent.  Ra¬ 
hab  had  heard  the  story  of  the  drying  up  of  the  Red 
Sea,  and  the  conquests  of  the  men  of  Israel;  she 
believed  in  them  with  all  her  heart;  she  knew  that 
the  doom  of  Jericho  was  at  hand.  She  begged  for 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  81 


the  life  of  her  family,  was  told  to  mark  the  window 
of  her  house  with  a  bit  of  red,  and  keep  everybody 
indoors;  then  the  house  and  the  inmates  would  be 
spared.  Such  marking  of  friendly  houses  was  com¬ 
mon  in  the  recent  war. 

Her  house  was  on  the  town  wall,  and  she  let  the 
spies  down  from  the  outside  window  by  a  cord ;  they 
escaped  to  the  mountain,  hid  there  three  days,  and 
returned  in  safety  to  Joshua. 

Thus  Rahab  acquired  immortality;  she  is  men¬ 
tioned  with  respect  in  the  Letter  to  the  Hebrews 
and  in  the  Letter  of  James.  She  has  frequently 
appeared  in  imaginative  literature.  In  our  time 
women  of  her  profession  are  often  idealised,  and 
made  the  heroines  of  fiction  and  drama.  There  are 
writers  who  seem  to  have  a  sentimental  admiration 
for  people  of  this  class. 

The  children  of  Israel  passed  through  the  river 
of  Jordan,  following  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  The 
method  was  slightly  different  from  that  in  which  they 
had  crossed  the  Red  Sea.  There  they  passed  be¬ 
tween  two  walls  of  water;  here  on  one  side  the  water 
was  amassed  in  a  heap,  and  on  the  other  it  ran  off 
entirely  and  disappeared.  Perhaps  the  only  person 
who  was  not  surprised  by  the  event  was  Rahab;  she 
remembered  the  story  of  the  Red  Sea  and  knew  that 
for  the  Israelites  a  stretch  of  water  was  no  obstacle. 

Shortly  after  they  had  arrived  in  safety  on  the 
Canaan  side,  a  curious  thing  happened;  the  fall  of 
manna  ceased  and  has  never  been  seen  since.  They 


82  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


were  now  to  have  a  table  prepared  for  them  in  the 
presence  of  their  enemies. 

Joshua  had  a  vision  of  a  strange  captain  who 
came  to  meet  him,  which  is  not  surprising,  as  many 
in  the  recent  war  saw  plainly  similar  apparitions. 

The  gates  of  Jericho  were  closed.  Six  days  in 
succession  the  Hebrew  men-at-arms  walked  once 
entirely  around  the  town,  preceded  by  seven  priests 
carrying  in  silence  trumpets  of  rams’  horns,  followed 
by  the  Ark  of  God,  which  in  turn  had  a  rear-guard; 
as  the  inhabitants  looked  from  the  walls  at  the  grim 
and  silent  host  they  must  have  felt  extremely  nerv¬ 
ous.  On  the  seventh  day  the  invaders  circumvented 
the  city  seven  times — presumably  at  the  double- 
quick — and  then  the  priests  blew  a  tremendous  blast, 
the  army  gave  a  mighty  shout,  and  down  went  the 
walls !  With  the  exception  of  Rahab  and  her  family, 
every  living  thing  in  the  city  was  slain  by  the  Israel¬ 
ites,  and  Jericho  wiped  off  the  map  of  Canaan. 

The  soldiers  were  told  to  take  no  booty  for  them¬ 
selves,  but  one  man,  Achan,  found  his  avarice 
stronger  than  his  fear  of  the  mighty  God;  he  hid 
valuables  in  his  tent.  Then  came  a  terrifying  cast¬ 
ing  of  lots.  The  twelve  tribes  were  drawn,  and 
Judah  was  taken.  What  a  relief  for  the  others,  and 
what  consternation  in  the  heart  of  Achan!  The 
families  of  Judah  were  drawn,  and  the  Zarhites 
were  taken;  man  by  man  they  were  drawn,  and 
Zabdi  was  taken;  his  household  was  drawn,  and  his 
grandson  Achan  was  taken. 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  83 


And  Joshua  said  unto  Achan,  My  son,  give,  I  pray  thee, 
glory  to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  make  confession  unto 
him;  and  tell  me  now  what  thou  hast  done;  hide  it  not  from  me. 

Achan  confessed.  He  and  his  entire  family  were 
stoned  and  then  burned.  A  great  heap  of  stones 
was  raised  over  him  to  commemorate  his  sin  and  its 
punishment.  The  heap  was  still  there  when  the 
chronicler  wrote  his  narrative. 

The  Canaanites  did  not  yield  up  their  fair  land 
without  a  struggle;  they  were  brave  in  battle,  like 
soldiers  everywhere,  and  they  fought  desperately, 
but  they  had  no  more  chance  than  Hector  against 
Achilles.  Their  hour  had  struck.  The  familiar 
military  tactics  appear,  strategy  and  ambush;  and 
there  were  traitors  who  espoused  the  Hebrew  cause, 
some  of  whom  were  kept  indefinitely  as  hewers  of 
wood  and  drawers  of  water.  The  sun  stood  still 
over  Gibeon,  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  the  heaven, 
and  set  only  with  the  fortunes  of  the  town.  Then 
comes  a  touch  worthy  of  Marlowe’s  Tamburlaine. 
Five  kings  had  hid  in  a  cave;  when  they  were 
brought  out,  Joshua  called  forward  his  captains  and 
told  them  to  put  their  feet  on  the  necks  of  the  kings. 
After  this  indignity  the  five  were  slain  and  hanged 
on  five  trees,  which  had  never  borne  such  royal  fruit 
before. 

So  the  invaders  went  on  their  way,  houghing 
horses,  destroying  armed  hosts,  butchering  women 
and  children  and  burning  cities;  the  pillar  of  fire  and 
pillar  of  smoke  were  now  of  their  own  making,  and 


84  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


marked  their  progress  continually.  Finally  the  land 
was  divided  up  and  perforce  submitted  to  the  peace 
of  victory. 

Here  and  there  the  Canaanites  made  those  blood¬ 
less  conquests  that  subdued  nations  often  win  of 
their  conquerors;  some  of  the  Israelites  adopted  the 
gods  of  their  foes,  and  others  made  marriages  with 
the  daughters  of  the  land.  So  it  has  ever  been. 

The  time  came  for  Joshua  to  die.  He  made  an 
impressive  farewell  speech,  full  of  warnings  against 
transgression,  full  of  promises  to  the  faithful,  and 
he  said,  “Behold,  this  day  I  am  going  the  way  of 
all  the  earth.”  The  brave  old  warrior,  who,  like 
Cromwell,  carried  the  law  in  one  hand  and  the 
sword  in  the  other,  made  a  covenant  with  his  people 
and  submitted  to  death  with  a  calm  and  steadfast 
mind. 

After  the  death  of  Joshua  the  people  became  cor¬ 
rupted  by  following  the  religion  of  their  enemies; 
victories  came  to  an  end.  Eglon,  the  king  of  the 
Moabites,  got  the  upper  hand  and  held  Israel  in 
subjection  eighteen  years.  This  led  to  the  first  po¬ 
litical  assassination  recorded  in  the  Bible.  King 
Eglon  was  a  very  fat  man,  “and  he  was  sitting  in 
a  summer  parlour,  which  he  had  for  himself  alone.” 
A  revolutionist  named  Ehud  entered,  saying  that  he 
had  a  message  from  God.  As  the  heavy  monarch 
got  up  out  of  his  chair,  Ehud  pushed  a  dagger  into 
the  nearest  part  of  his  anatomy,  which  stood  out 
conspicuously;  the  fat  closed  over  the  handle,  and 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  85 


Eglon  fell.  Ehud  left  the  room  quietly,  closing  and 
locking  the  door  after  him;  the  king’s  attendants, 
thinking  he  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed,  left  him 
alone  long  enough  for  Ehud  to  make  good  his  escape 
and  rouse  his  people.  The  Moabites  were  thor¬ 
oughly  beaten,  and  there  came  eighty  years  of  peace. 

The  Israelites  attempted  some  loose  form  of  gen¬ 
eral  government,  under  judges,  who  are  first  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  second  chapter  of  the  book.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  women  seemed  to  have  full 
political  equality,  for  one  of  the  most  famous  judges 
was  Deborah,  who  was  a  poet  as  well  as  a  states¬ 
man,  and  who  celebrated  the  treacherous  murder  of 
Captain  Sisera  by  a  splendid  battle-hymn : 

The  inhabitants  of  the  villages  ceased,  they  ceased  in 
Israel,  until  that  I  Deborah  arose,  that  I  arose  a  mother  in 
Israel . 

Awake,  awake,  Deborah;  awake,  awake,  utter  a  song;  arise, 
Barak,  and  lead  thy  captivity  captive,  thou  son  of  Abi- 
noam . 

And  the  princes  of  Issachar  were  with  Deborah . 

For  the  divisions  of  Reuben  there  were  great  thoughts  of  heart. 

Why  abodest  thou  among  the  sheepfolds,  to  hear  the  bleatings 
of  the  flocks?  For  the  divisions  of  Reuben  there  were  great 
searchings  of  heart. 

They  fought  from  heaven;  the  stars  in  their  courses  fought 
against  Sisera. 

The  River  of  Kishon  swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river, 
the  river  Kishon.  O  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength. 

Then  were  the  horsehoofs  broken  by  the  means  of  the  prans- 
ings,  the  pransings  of  their  mighty  ones . 

Blessed  above  women  shall  Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite 
be,  blessed  shall  she  be  above  women  in  the  tent. 


86  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


He  asked  water,  and  she  gave  him  milk;  she  brought  forth 
butter  in  a  lordly  dish . 

The  mother  of  Sisera  looked  out  at  a  window,  and  cried 
through  the  lattice,  Why  is  his  chariot  so  long  in  coming?  Why 
tarry  the  wheels  of  his  chariots? 

Her  wise  ladies  answered  her,  yea,  she  returned  answer  to 
herself, 

Have  they  not  sped?  Have  they  not  divided  the  prey;  to 
every  man  a  damsel  or  two;  to  Sisera  a  prey  of  divers  colours, 
a  prey  of  divers  colours  of  needlework  on  both  sides,  meet  for 
the  necks  of  them  that  take  the  spoil? 

So  let  all  thine  enemies  perish,  O  Lord;  but  let  them  that 
love  him  be  as  the  sun  when  he  goeth  forth  in  his  might. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Sisera’s  mother  was 
interested  in  fine  needlework;  she  seems  especially 
to  have  admired  the  skill  of  the  Jewish  women. 

Forty  years  of  rest  followed  the  defeat  of  Sisera; 
then  the  Israelites  made  their  accustomed  deviation 
into  idolatry,  and  the  victorious  Midianites  ruled 
over  them  seven  years.  They  were  finally  delivered 
by  the  cautious  and  sceptical  Gideon,  who  must  have 
tried  God’s  patience  with  his  doubtings,  questionings 
and  bargainings,  but  who  for  some  reason  was  re¬ 
warded.  His  faith,  like  that  of  many  others,  de¬ 
pended  wholly  on  facts  and  figures.  I  cannot  regard 
him  as  a  hero;  he  took  no  chances.  For  a  consider¬ 
able  less  display  of  doubt,  Moses  was  forbidden  to 
enter  the  Promised  Land.  The  calculating  shrewd¬ 
ness  of  human  nature,  the  desire  to  invest  only  with 
assured  profit,  are  sharply  revealed  in  the  character 
of  Gideon. 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  87 


The  book  of  Judges  abounds  in  brilliant  short 
stories;  the  adventures  of  Gideon  are  thrilling,  and 
those  of  that  ruffian,  his  son  Abimelech,  even  more 
so.  This  ambitious  and  reckless  young  man  con¬ 
spired  against  his  brothers  even  as  Edmund  con¬ 
spired  against  Edgar  in  King  Lear.  Instead  of 
buying  a  birthright,  like  Jacob,  he  took  it  by  audac¬ 
ity  and  force;  for  although  he  was  conspicuously 
lacking  in  religion  and  morality,  he  never  lacked 
courage.  His  creed  was  that  of  Napoleon — Might 
makes  Right.  Dominion  and  authority  belong  to 
those  who  are  ready  and  willing  to  take  advantage 
of  opportunity.  So  at  this  point  in  Israel’s  history 
a  conscienceless,  melodramatic  and  picturesque  dare¬ 
devil  appears  on  the  scene  and  wins  headship  by  a 
coup  d’etat .  It  is  a  stirring  story,  the  story  of 
Abimelech  the  Adventurer. 

Gideon  had  seventy  legitimate  sons  and  also 
Abimelech,  born  of  his  maidservant  in  Shechem. 
When  the  father  was  dead  Abimelech  visited  his 
own  mother’s  relatives  and  put  before  them  this 
question  of  government:  Is  it  better  to  have  seventy 
rulers  or  one?  He  drew  them  over;  they  gave 
him  money,  by  which  he  secured  a  gang  of  hired 
cut-throats — “wherewith  Abimelech  hired  vain  and 
light  persons,  which  followed  him.”  He  began  his 
turbulent  career  by  butchering  his  seventy  brothers, 
with  the  exception  of  clever  Jotham,  who  hid  him¬ 
self.  Abimelech  was  then  formally  crowned  king. 

But  Jotham,  who  was  a  persuasive  orator,  stood 


88  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


on  an  elevation,  and,  poised  a-tiptoe  for  flight,  he 
pronounced  a  sylvan  allegory  to  the  multitude,  her 
ginning  authoritatively,  for  he  felt  himself  to  be  the 
legitimate  heir: 

Hearken  unto  me,  ye  men  of  Shechem,  that  God  may  hearken 
unto  you. 

The  trees  went  forth  on  a  time  to  anoint  a  king  over  them; 
and  they  said  unto  the  olive  tree,  Reign  thou  over  us. 

But  the  olive  tree  said  unto  them,  Should  I  leave  my  fatness, 
wherewith  by  me  they  honour  God  and  man,  and  go  to  be 
promoted  over  the  trees? 

And  the  trees  said  to  the  fig  tree,  Come  thou,  and  reign 
over  us. 

But  the  fig  tree  said  unto  them,  Should  I  forsake  my  sweet¬ 
ness,  and  my  good  fruit,  and  go  to  be  promoted  over  the  trees? 

And  the  trees  said  unto  the  vine,  Come  thou,  and  reign 
over  us. 

And  the  vine  said  unto  them,  Should  I  leave  my  wine,  which 
cheereth  God  and  man,  and  go  to  be  promoted  over  the  trees? 

Apparently  it  was  as  hard  to  get  good  men  to  go 
into  politics  as  it  is  now  in  America;  and  they  re¬ 
fused  for  the  same  reason. 

Then  said  all  the  trees  unto  the  bramble,  Come  thou,  and 
reign  over  us. 

And  the  bramble  said  unto  the  trees,  If  in  truth  ye  anoint  me 
king  over  you,  then  come  and  put  your  trust  in  my  shadow: 
and  if  not,  let  fire  come  out  of  the  bramble,  and  devour  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon . 

If  ye  then  have  dealt  truly  and  sincerely  with  Jerubbaal  and 
with  his  house  this  day,  then  rejoice  ye  in  Abimelech,  and  let 
him  also  rejoice  in  you: 

But  if  not,  let  fire  come  out  from  Abimelech,  and  devour  the 
men  of  Shechem,  and  the  house  of  Millo;  and  let  fire  come  out 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  89 


from  the  men  of  Shechem,  and  from  the  house  of  Millo,  and 
devour  Abimelech. 

(Jerubbaal  was  another  name  for  Gideon;  Millo 
was  a  fort  near  Shechem;  Shechem  itself  was  an 
important  town  in  sacred  history,  the  first  Canaan 
city  visited  by  Abraham,  the  scene  of  the  crowning 
of  Abimelech,  later  of  Rehoboam,  and  the  place 
where  Jesus  spoke  with  the  woman  of  Samaria.) 

Jotham  let  this  prophecy  of  civil  war  sink  into 
the  people  like  a  poisoned  arrow;  it  was  a  more 
powerful  speech  than  if  he  had  indulged  in  vitupera¬ 
tion  or  jealous  rage.  And  after  three  years  there 
was  dissension  between  Abimelech  and  his  people; 
an  agitator  named  Gaal,  who  lacked  the  courage  of 
his  convictions  at  the  critical  moment,  induced  the 
people  to  rise  against  Abimelech.  That  resolute 
man  had  no  difficulty  in  defeating  Gaal  and  the 
rebels,  and  took  fierce  vengeance  on  Shechem.  A 
small  party  escaped  and  hid  in  a  stronghold  of  the 
house  of  the  god  Berith.  But  Abimelech,  who  feared 
neither  God  nor  man,  adopted  the  same  method  that 
brought  such  terror  to  the  heart  of  Macbeth.  He 
and  every  man  in  the  army  carried  a  bough  on  their 
shoulders,  and  advanced  like  a  moving  forest;  as 
they  drew  near  to  the  place  of  refuge,  they  set  fire 
to  it,  using  their  boughs  as  fuel;  so  was  fulfilled 
literally  and  impressively  the  prophetic  allegory  of 
Jotham.  In  a  subsequent  fight,  Abimelech  had  his 
skull  cracked  by  a  stone  dropped  from  a  woman’s 
hands;  and  he  commanded  his  armour-bearer  to  slay 


90  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


him,  that  he  might  not  die  in  disgrace.  He  was 
consistently  masculine;  he  died  as  he  lived,  by  the 
sword. 

Social  inequalities,  characteristic  of  all  communi¬ 
ties  in  time  of  peace,  are  annihilated  by  the  common 
danger  in  time  of  war.  As  Abimelech,  the  son  of  a 
housemaid,  had  risen  to  be  king,  so  Jephthah,  the 
son  of  a  harlot,  who  had  been  expelled  from  his 
father’s  house  by  his  legitimate  brothers,  was  sent 
for  when  Israel  was  attacked  by  the  Ammonites. 
For  in  war  the  question  is  not,  Who  was  your 
mother?  but,  What  can  you  do?  and  Jephthah  was 
a  mighty  man  of  valour.  He  was  proud  and  clever 
enough  to  tell  the  ambassadors  that  if  he  agreed 
to  lead  them  in  battle  they  must  acknowledge  him  as 
ruler  after  the  victory.  To  this  they  agreed;  and 
we  see  in  the  history  of  Israel,  as  elsewhere,  how  a 
powerful  leader  may  rise  from  humble  origin.  Jeph¬ 
thah,  like  the  wise  man  he  was,  tried  to  avoid  open 
hostilities  with  the  children  of  Ammon,  and  a  spir¬ 
ited  correspondence  took  place  between  him  and 
their  king;  when  negotiations  failed,  he  smote  them, 
hip  and  thigh.  If  only  he  had  not  made  his  famous 
vow ! 

Jephthah  and  his  nameless  daughter  are  immortal 
figures  of  tragedy;  they  conquer  more  people  every 
day  than  Jephthah  did  on  the  happiest  and  saddest 
day  of  his  life.  She  died  for  her  country,  and  for 
her  father’s  honour;  every  year  thereafter  the 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN'  CANAAN  91 


daughters  of  Israel  celebrated  her  heroism  with 
public  lamentation. 

Before  her  death  she  went  upon  the  mountain 
with  other  young  girls  to  bewail  her  virginity.  Per¬ 
haps  she  showed  more  courage  in  this  prolonged 
and  solemn  contemplation  than  if  she  had  begged 
for  instant  sacrifice. 

Just  what  she  was  bewailing  I  did  not  fully  under¬ 
stand  when  I  first  read  the  story  in  my  childhood, 
but  I  was  impressed  by  it,  and  still  more  impressed 
by  the  sensation  I  caused  in  a  room  full  of  people 
one  evening  when  I  regarded  my  maiden  aunt,  who 
for  some  reason  seemed  to  be  depressed,  and  sud¬ 
denly  in  a  general  silence  I  shot  this  question  at  her : 
“Are  you  bewailing  your  virginity?” 

The  Ephraimites,  jealous  of  Jephthah’s  glory, 
and  forgetting  his  grief,  started  a  civil  war  against 
him,  in  spite  of  his  attempts  to  remonstrate.  Like 
a  true  statesman,  he  never  resorted  to  war  if  it  were 
possible  to  avoid  it.  Jephthah  won  the  battle,  which 
was  the  cause  of  another  never-to-be-forgotten  inci¬ 
dent.  The  men  of  Gilead  stood  at  the  passages  of 
the  river  Jordan,  and  when  the  fugitive  Ephraimites 
came  up,  pretending  to  be  of  another  tribe,  and  de¬ 
siring  permission  to  cross  over,  an  interesting  philo¬ 
logical  test  was  made. 

.  .  .  The  men  of  Gilead  said  unto  him,  Art  thou  an  Ephraim- 
ite?  If  he  said,  Nay; 

Then  said  they  unto  him,  Say  now  Shibboleth:  and  he  said 


92  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Sibboleth;  for  he  could  not  frame  to  pronounce  it  right.  Then 
they  took  him  and  slew  him  at  the  passages  of  Jordan:  and 
there  fell  at  that  time  of  the  Ephraimites  forty  and  two 
thousand. 

When  one  hears  the  English  language  to-day  mis¬ 
pronounced,  misaccented,  and  treated  with  vulgar 
carelessness  by  those  natives  who  ought  to  respect 
it,  one  wishes  there  might  be  some  public  test  and 
drastic  penalty.  “Sibboleth”  for  “Shibboleth”  is 
surely  no  worse  than  “weat”  for  “wheat.” 

About  twenty-five  years  after  the  death  of  Jeph- 
thah,  the  sinister  shadow  of  the  Philistines  begins 
to  spread  across  the  Promised  Land;  it  will  be  re¬ 
membered  their  country  stood  directly  in  the  path  of 
the  Israelites  when  they  escaped  from  Egypt,  and  it 
was  owing  to  this  obstacle  that  the  Hebrews  made 
a  wide  detour.  They  inhabited  a  part  of  the  sea- 
coast  on  the  southwest  portion  of  Canaan,  though 
their  army  seems  to  have  been  much  more  important 
than  their  navy.  The  original  hindrance  was  pro¬ 
phetic;  they  were  to  give  Israel  trouble  many  years; 
for  the  Israelites  surrendered  to  the  Philistine  gods 
before  surrendering  to  their  men-at-arms.  The 
Philistines  had  beaten  and  ruled  the  Hebrews  forty 
years  when  Samson  was  born.  He  hated  the  for¬ 
eigners  as  Hannibal  hated  Rome,  and  it  was  destined 
that  he  should  trouble  them. 

An  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  Manoah  and 
his  wife,  predicted  that  they  would  have  a  son,  that 
he  must  be  a  Nazarite,  and  keep  the  vows;  after 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  93 


which  the  angel  ascended  to  heaven  before  their 
astonished  eyes. 

The  word  Nazarite  means  Separated,  and  the 
rules  which  a  Nazarite  must  obey  were  set  forth  with 
precision  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Numbers. 

He  shall  separate  himself  from  wine  and  strong  drink,  and 
shall  drink  no  vinegar  of  wine,  or  vinegar  of  strong  drink, 
neither  shall  he  drink  any  liquor  of  grapes,  nor  eat  moist  grapes, 
or  dried. 

All  the  days  of  his  separation  shall  he  eat  nothing  that  is 
made  of  the  vine  tree,  from  the  kernels  even  to  the  husk. 

All  the  days  of  the  vow  of  his  separation  there  shall  no  razor 

come  upon  his  head . he  shall  be  holy,  and  shall  let  the 

locks  of  the  hair  of  his  head  grow. 

You  see  he  was  forbidden  even  grape  juice;  and 
he  must  neither  shave  nor  have  his  hair  trimmed. 

Samson  is  the  champion  athlete  of  the  Bible  and, 
like  most  athletes,  was  then  and  is  now  enormously 
popular.  College  undergraduates  are  often  ridi¬ 
culed  for  their  worship  of  football  players ;  but  they 
are  merely  following  afar  off  the  manner  of  the 
world.  Men  who  are  physically  powerful  have  ten 
times  more  admirers  than  those  who  are  intel¬ 
lectually  distinguished;  this  fact  is  more  evident 
to-day  than  in  the  age  of  the  cave  man.  Never  have 
prize-fighters  been  more  popular  than  now.  Samson 
has  always  been  an  appealing  figure.  Although 
ideally  unfitted  for  the  position,  he  was  appointed 
Judge,  and  judged  Israel  for  twenty  years.  Like 
most  heavyweight  athletes,  he  was  a  good  fellow 


94  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


and  good-naturedly  generous  when  not  opposed;  but 
he  was  not  conspicuous  for  intellectual  brilliancy; 
his  head  was  as  solid  as  the  muscles  on  his  arms. 
He  was  fond  of  betting  and  an  easy  prey  to  women; 
his  humour  expressed  itself  in  practical  jokes.  He 
never  had  his  hair  cut  but  once,  and  found  that  even 
more  expensive  than  it  is  to-day. 

Like  most  stupid  people,  he  took  the  easiest  way 
and  followed  his  instincts.  He  saw  a  Philistine  girl 
and  wanted  to  marry  her;  in  response  to  the  expostu¬ 
lations  of  his  father,  he  merely  replied:  “Get  her 
for  me;  for  she  pleaseth  me  well.” 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  this  Philistine  for¬ 
eign  wife  betrayed  him  to  the  Philistines;  prophetic 
of  the  later  conduct  of  Delilah.  Samson  paid  his 
bet  in  grim  fashion,  and  then  left  his  wife  to  herself. 
It  is  characteristic  of  him,  however,  that  he  came 
back  to  her,  his  desire  always  being  stronger  than 
his  wit;  and  when  he  found  his  “best  man”  had  taken 
her,  he  destroyed  the  harvest  of  the  Philistines  with 
illuminated  fox  tails.  His  method  of  destruction 
showed  more  originality  than  the  results  thereof; 
for  on  a  subsequent  occasion  he  slew  a  thousand 
Philistines  with  the  jawbone  of  a  certain  animal, 
which  is  by  no  means  the  last  illustration  of  what 
widespread  havoc  can  be  wrought  by  an  ass. 

Another  woman  nearly  proved  his  destruction; 
and  he  would  have  been  lost  if  he  had  not  had  the 
unusual  advantage  of  being  able  to  walk  out  of  the 
locked  gates  of  the  city,  taking  them  with  him  as  he 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  95 


went.  Delilah  finally  succeeded  in  compassing  his 
downfall;  she  did  it  not  by  cleverness,  but  by  per¬ 
sistently  being  herself.  I  remember  as  a  boy,  Sam¬ 
son’s  giving  her  his  secret  seemed  to  me  inexplicable ; 
how  could  he  be  such  a  fool?  He  not  only  knew 
the  necessity  of  keeping  his  strength,  but  her  abso¬ 
lute  treachery  had  been  proved  in  his  presence  three 
times.  My  father  had  found  it  impossible  to  explain 
the  situation  to  me,  though  I  noticed  it  seemed  nat¬ 
ural  enough  to  him.  One  must  have  lived  some  time 
in  the  world  in  order  to  understand  how  natural  it 
was;  it  happens  every  day.  Samson  was  not  the 
only  fool  in  the  world. 

It  was  not  until  he  became  blind  that  he  really 
saw  the  truth.  Good  health  often  blunts  one’s  per¬ 
ceptions.  Do  you  remember  the  infinitely  melan¬ 
choly  words  of  Gloucester,  when  in  response  to  a 
sympathetic  enquiry,  he  said: 

I  have  no  way,  and  therefore  want  no  eyes: 

I  stumbled  when  I  saw. 

Either  Delilah  did  not  tell  the  Philistines  the  rea¬ 
son  of  his  weakness,  or  they  were  stupid  enough  to 
forget  it;  they  should  have  kept  the  prison  barber 
at  him  every  day.  I  suppose,  however,  they  enjoyed 
watching  his  feats  of  strength,  which  they  made  him 
perform  in  public  for  their  amusement;  he  willingly 
acquiesced  in  satisfying  their  curiosity,  knowing  that 
it  was  necessary  to  keep  in  condition. 

Milton  made  a  glorious  poem  out  of  Samson’s 


96  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


sufferings.  He  understood  them.  He,  too,  had  suf¬ 
fered  both  by  blindness  and  women.  Milton  never 
forgot  his  first  wife,  and  in  the  colloquy  between 
the  captive  giant  and  Delilah,  who  had  the  assurance 
to  visit  him,  there  is  more  than  a  touch  of  auto¬ 
biography. 

After  the  Philistines  came  general  anarchy;  no 
king  had  as  yet  been  appointed,  and  no  judge  had 
succeeded  Samson.  “Every  man  did  that  which  was 
right  in  his  own  eyes,”  which  means  they  all  did 
wrong. 

A  quarrel  over  one  woman  started  a  terrific  civil 
war,  which  nearly  annihilated  the  tribe  of  Benjamin. 
This  horrible  story,  a  duplicate  of  what  happened 
in  Sodom,  illustrates  the  unnatural  wickedness  in 
Israel,  and  the  sacredness  of  hospitality,  according 
to  which  the  safety  of  a  guest  was  considered  more 
important  than  the  welfare  of  the  family.  The 
tale  is  told  with  Russian  intensity;  and  the  battle 
that  followed  the  death  of  the  woman  is  set  forth  in 
detail.  The  children  of  Benjamin,  who  were  on  the 
defensive,  had  a  number  of  sharpshooters. 

Among  all  this  people  there  were  seven  hundred  chosen  men 
lefthanded;  every  one  could  sling  stones  at  an  hair  breadth, 
and  not  miss. 

The  city  of  Benjamin  was  taken  by  a  stratagem; 
much  slaughter  resulted.  Now  the  other  tribes  had 
all  taken  a  vow  that  not  one  of  them  would  give  his 
daughter  to  a  man  of  Benjamin  in  marriage.  Later, 


FAMOUS  FIGHTERS  IN  CANAAN  97 


their  hearts  softened  toward  the  outcast  tribe,  and 
the  method  by  which — while  still  the  vow  was  kept 
inviolate — the  surviving  warriors  of  Benjamin  se¬ 
cured  wives  is  rude,  violent,  and  decidedly  inter¬ 
esting. 


RUTH,  ELI,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  AND 

KING  SAUL 


A  Beautiful  Short  Story — A  Hebrew  Pastoral — Char¬ 
acter  of  Ruth — Her  Steady  Loyalty — Sorrows  of 
Naomi — Mothers  and  Daughters — The  Mature  and 
Prosperous  Boaz — His  Relations  With  His  Farm¬ 
hands — His  Kindness  to  Ruth — Her  Subtle  Flattery — 
Her  Choice  of  a  Husband — Land-contracts — Ruth  the 
Great-grandmother  of  David — Eli  and  His  Sons — The 
Training  of  Children — The  Younger  Generation — 
Death  of  Eli — The  Ark  of  God — Ichabod — Boyhood 
of  Samuel — His  Character — Saul  the  Cowboy — His 
Appearance — The  First  King — His  Love  of  Music — 
His  Prophesying — Degeneration  of  Saul — Fighting  the 
Philistines — Character  and  Exploits  of  Jonathan — Saul 
a  Constitutional  Monarch — Display  of  Public  Senti¬ 
ment — The  Death  of  Agag — Incorruptibility  of  Judge 
Samuel — The  Ghost ,  the  Medium ,  the  Prophecy — 
Suicide  of  Saul — Reflections  on  His  Character  and 
That  of  Kings  in  General. 


V 


RUTH,  ELI,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  AND 

KING  SAUL 

Ruth  is  a  pretty  name :  in  Hebrew  it  means  friend¬ 
ship  and  in  English  pity.  She  lived  up  to  her  name 
in  both  languages;  she  was  both  loyal  and  sympa¬ 
thetic.  She  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  girls  in  the 
Bible;  her  gentle,  affectionate  nature  seems  all  the 
fairer  in  contrast  with  two  terrible  women  of  the 
Old  Testament,  Delilah  and  Jezebel.  A  charming 
oasis  is  her  story — one  of  the  best  short  stories  in 
literature — coming  as  it  does  between  two  long 
books  of  crime  and  slaughter. 

There  is  nothing  sentimental  and  nothing  insipid 
in  this  idyl;  it  is  a  suburban  pastoral,  illustrating 
the  grace  of  loyalty.  We  have  learned  in  the  twen¬ 
tieth  century  not  to  minimise  the  virtue  of  loyalty; 
this  fine  flower  of  human  nature  has  its  roots  deep 
in  the  human  heart.  The  beauty  of  loyalty  consists 
in  giving  rather  than  receiving;  giving  all  if  need 
be,  and  asking  nothing  before  or  after.  Selfish  and 
calculating  persons  are  conspicuously  without  it;  and 
it  is  not  fully  understood  by  men  of  pure  intellect. 
But  there  is  always  something  splendid,  something 

101 


102  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


refreshing,  about  people  who  have  it.  You  remem¬ 
ber  in  Shakespeare,  when  the  various  nobles  were 
disputing  as  to  whether  the  king  had  a  legal  claim 
or  not,  the  strong  voice  of  Clifford  is  like  a  breath 
of  fresh  air: 

King  Henry,  be  thy  title  right  or  wrong, 

Lord  Clifford  vows  to  fight  in  thy  defence. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  the  character  of  D’Artag- 
nan  is  so  irresistibly  attractive  is  because  Loyalty 
was  his  religion;  the  whole  man  rings  true,  said 
Stevenson,  like  a  good  sovereign. 

Naomi  had  reached  the  darkest  hour  of  her  life; 
driven  from  her  country  by  famine,  she  migrated 
with  her  husband  and  her  two  sons.  In  the  alien 
land  of  Moab,  her  husband  and  then  both  her  sons 
died,  leaving  her  a  solitary  Israelite,  bereft  of  kin 
and  fortune.  She  started  to  return  home,  and  ad¬ 
vised  her  two  Moabite  daughters-in-law  not  to  ac¬ 
company  her;  they  were  both  young,  and  could 
marry  again  among  their  own  people.  Orpah  kissed 
her,  but  Ruth  clave  unto  her,  and  spoke  out  those 
words  that  have  brought  down  the  ages  their  eternal 
fragrance,  as  fresh  and  sweet  to-day  as  when  first 
uttered: 

Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go ;  and  where  thou  lodgest,  I  will 
lodge;  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God: 

Where  thou  diest,  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be  buried:  the 
Lord  do  so  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  ought  but  death  part 
thee  and  me. 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  103 

There  are  women  who,  like  Lady  Macbeth,  are 
meant  to  bring  forth  men-children  only,  but  they 
are  perhaps  not  the  most  fortunate.  The  relation 
of  mother  and  daughter  is  peculiarly  beautiful;  each 
needs  the  other  so  keenly,  and  they  understand  each 
other,  because  they  are  both  women.  A  woman  may 
be  proud  of  her  son,  but  she  can  never  be  so  close 
to  him  as  to  her  daughter.  The  neighbours  were 
right  when  they  said  to  Naomi,  Ruth  “is  better  to 
thee  than  seven  sons.” 

Boaz  was  like  a  prosperous  American  farmer, 
head  of  a  vast  estate.  He  was  a  sound,  hearty, 
healthy  man,  broad-minded  and  generous,  whose 
relations  with  his  hired  reapers  were  cordial.  He 
came  out  of  the  city  to  the  fields,  greeted  the  farm¬ 
hands  affectionately,  and  they  responded  in  like 
manner.  Then  he  noticed  the  slender  girl,  bending 
over  the  sheaves  of  grain,  and  upon  enquiry  found 
it  was  that  very  same  foreigner  of  whose  devotion 
to  Naomi  he  had  heard.  One  can  easily  imagine 
how  his  first  agreeable  impression  of  her  appearance 
was  strengthened  by  his  knowledge  of  her  amiable 
and  affectionate  character.  He  spoke  to  her  kindly, 
and  then  he  said  something  to  the  young  men  that 
wins  our  hearts: 

And  let  fall  also  some  of  the  handfuls  of  purpose  for  her, 
and  leave  them,  that  she  may  glean  them,  and  rebuke  her  not. 

Boaz  had  reached  the  age  when  he  was  flattered 
by  her  evident  liking  for  him,  for  he  had  supposed 


104  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


that  he  must  henceforth  be  and  remain  Boaz-sit-by- 
the-fire. 

Blessed  be  thou  of  the  Lord,  my  daughter:  for  thou  hast 
shewed  more  kindness  in  the  latter  end  than  at  the  beginning, 
inasmuch  as  thou  followedst  not  young  men,  whether  poor  or 
rich. 

The  common  opinion  is  that  men  select  their 
wives.  While  this  undoubtedly  happens  here  and 
there,  it  is  equally  true  that  women  select  their  hus¬ 
bands.  Boaz  was  marked  down  from  the  start  by 
both  mother  and  daughter,  and  he  literally  had  no 

e 

chance  of  escape.  Fortunately  for  him,  he  fell  into 
good  hands;  for  a  damsel  that  had  shown  such 
single-hearted  devotion  to  Naomi  would  be  faithful 
and  loyal  to  the  man  of  her  choice.  That  very  ex¬ 
pression  which  we  use  so  often,  “the  man  of  her 
choice,”  is  significant. 

We  have  a  pleasant  glimpse  here  of  business  deal¬ 
ings  and  the  manner  in  which  land  contracts  were 
secured.  The  historian  narrates  as  though  the 
custom  in  his  own  time  had  become  obsolete. 

Now  this  was  the  manner  in  former  time  in  Israel  concerning 
redeeming  and  concerning  changing,  for  to  confirm  all  things; 
a  man  plucked  off  his  shoe,  and  gave  it  to  his  neighbour:  and 
this  was  a  testimony  in  Israel. 

Therefore  the  kinsman  said  unto  Boaz,  Buy  it  for  thee.  So 
he  drew  off  his  shoe. 

Ruth  married  an  upright  and  successful  business 
man;  and  Naomi  went  wild  with  delight  at  having 
a  grandson.  She  “laid  it  in  her  bosom,  and  became 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  105 

nurse  unto  it.”  Her  troubles  were  over.  The  boy 
was  named  Obed,  and  became  the  grandfather  of  a 
mighty  king.  The  last  word  in  the  book  of  Ruth  is 
David.  “And  Obed  begat  Jesse,  and  Jesse  begat 
David.” 

After  this  bright  episode,  the  familiar  story  of 
war  and  of  apostasy  returns;  the  clouds  gather 
again.  Old  Eli  is  a  pathetic  figure.  He  judged 
Israel  forty  years,  was  sincere  and  upright,  submis¬ 
sive  to  the  will  of  God.  But  like  many  religious 
men,  he  was  not  successful  in  bringing  up  his  sons; 
perhaps  his  tacit  acceptance  of  things  as  they  are — 
for  he  was  a  religious  fatalist — made  it  difficult  for 
him  to  impose  his  will  on  his  two  bad  boys.  He 
remonstrated  with  them,  when  what  they  needed 
was  something  more  drastic.  They  were  altogether 
too  much  for  him,  and  their  depravity  bewildered 
as  much  as  it  shocked  the  old  man.  There  was  no 
point  of  contact,  no  mutual  understanding  between 
Eli  and  his  children.  He  was  as  incomprehensible 
to  them  as  they  to  him.  This  is  a  tragic  but  unfor¬ 
tunately  a  familiar  spectacle  in  family  life.  Judging 
by  the  frequency  with  which  the  topic  comes  up  in 
social  conversation,  in  magazine  articles,  and  on  the 
stage,  it  is  regarded  as  a  particularly  difficult  prob¬ 
lem  in  the  year  of  grace  1922.  Some  children  shock 
their  parents,  and  some  parents  bore  their  children. 
There  has  always  been  a  quarrel  between  the  older 
and  the  younger  generation,  but  since  the  World 
War  the  quarrel  has  passed  into  an  acute  stage.  If 


106  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  the  younger  generation 
are  dependent  on  their  parents  for  a  source  of  sup¬ 
plies,  it  seems  that  often  they  could  get  on  very  well 
alone.  The  advice  of  father  to  son  is  often  the  last 
word  in  futility;  the  advice  of  son  to  father  is  to 
the  effect  that  he  had  better  not  meddle  with  what 
he  does  not  understand. 

It  is  only  where  piety  in  the  parents  is  accom¬ 
panied  with  tact,  sympathy,  and  understanding, 
where  the  intelligence  of  the  father  and  mother  is 
respected  by  son  and  daughter,  where  the  boy  would 
really  like  to  resemble  his  father  and  the  girl  her 
mother,  that  one  sees  an  admirable  family  life;  for¬ 
tunately  such  examples  are  not  extinct.  Eli  was 
dense.  He  could  not  make  religion  seem  real  to  his 
sons.  He  went  to  church,  and  they  went  to  the 
devil.  At  the  very  gates  of  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
they  indulged  in  sensuality  and  crooked  dealing. 
The  Sabbath  school  was  to  them  a  means  of  flirta¬ 
tion  and  the  offertory  a  means  of  support. 

Eli  was  too  placid,  too  good-natured,  to  have 
keen  perception;  his  mind  decayed  with  his  eyes.  He 
thought  Hannah  was  drunk  when  she  was  praying; 
and  in  the  charming  scene  when  the  Voice  came  to 
little  Samuel  in  the  night,  old  Eli  was  neither  excited 
nor  jealous  at  the  divine  preference.  But  his  rever¬ 
ence  for  the  ark  of  God  was  high  and  sincere;  he 
was  like  some  Church  priest  to  whom  the  ritual  of 
the  Church  and  everything  connected  with  formal 
worship  are  more  holy  than  a  broken  and  a  contrite 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  107 

heart.  When  the  fateful  messenger  came  from  the 
field  of  battle  and  his  appalling  tidings  proceeded 
from  general  to  particular — as  is  so  often  the  tragic 
unfolding  of  news — the  army  is  defeated,  your  sons 
are  killed,  the  ark  of  God  is  taken,  then  Eli  “fell 
from  off  the  seat  backward  by  the  side  of  the  gate, 
and  his  neck  brake,  and  he  died;  for  he  was  an  old 
man,  and  heavy.” 

His  son  Phineas  left  a  wife  with  child,  near  her 
time.  Some  idiot  told  her  the  news  of  the  defeat 
and  dishonour  of  Israel,  and  of  the  death  of  her 
husband  and  father-in-law.  She  travailed  and  died; 
and  just  before  her  death  the  women  spoke  to  her 
cheerily,  and  said,  “Fear  not:  for  thou  hast  born  a 
son.”  They  spoke  to  deaf  ears :  “she  answered  not, 
neither  did  she  regard  it.”  But  she  had  named  the 
child  Ichabod,  which  means  Where  is  the  honour? 
her  last  words  being,  “The  glory  is  departed  from 
Israel.” 

I  wish  we  knew  something  about  Ichabod;  he  is 
never  mentioned  again  in  the  Bible  except  in  the 
fourteenth  chapter  of  I  Samuel,  where  Ahitub  is 
called  Ichabod’s  brother.  But  although  the  Bible 
is  silent  about  him,  he  has  been  borrowed  many  times 
in  literature  and  in  history  for  his  symbolical  name. 
Whittier  applied  the  word  to  Daniel  Webster  in 
1850,  not  realising  that  the  speech  for  which  that 
statesman  was  condemned  was  the  finest  and  most 
patriotic  utterance  of  his  life. 

The  boy  Samuel  was  dedicated  by  his  mother 


108  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Elannah  to  Jehovah’s  service;  he  became  a  great 
religious  leader,  never  deviating  from  the  path  of 
sanctity  and  rectitude.  Yet  to  me  he  is  not  a  sympa¬ 
thetic  figure;  he  had  more  holiness  than  charm. 
There  Is  something  unlovely  about  the  man,  some¬ 
thing  rigid  and  puritanical.  I  suppose  it  was  nat¬ 
ural,  brought  up  as  he  was,  that  he  should  be  a  prig 
in  youth  and  a  statue  of  severity  in  old  age.  He 
had  no  more  luck  with  his  sons  than  Eli ;  they  were 
bad,  as  perhaps  might  be  expected,  and  did  not  find 
the  piety  of  their  father  alluring.  Just  as  some 
humanitarians  are  kind  to  everyone  except  members 
of  their  own  family,  so  I  suppose  some  religious 
leaders  have  more  zeal  for  God’s  house  than  affec¬ 
tion  for  their  own.  Samuel’s  sons,  like  those  of  Eli, 
were  a  public  scandal. 

Samuel’s  stern  integrity  made  him  a  powerful 
Judge,  respected  and  feared  by  the  people,  whose 
wanderings  after  strange  gods  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  condemn.  He  went  on  circuit  through  various 
cities,  holding  court.  The  Philistines  were  in  terror 
of  him,  for  so  long  as  his  decisions  were  regarded, 
the  Israelites  prospered  in  battle;  the  power  of  the 
enemy  receded,  not  to  become  triumphant  again 
until  after  his  death.  He  made  his  sons  judges; 
they  were  corrupt,  taking  bribes  freely,  and  the  old 
man  was  shamed  in  the  courts  of  law.  The  Israel¬ 
ites  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  their  wish  to  have 
a  king;  they  knew  Samuel  could  not  last  much  longer 
and  they  regarded  with  natural  apprehension  the 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  109 

coming  rule  of  his  sons.  They  spoke  to  him  with 
cruel  frankness : 

Behold,  thou  art  old,  and  thy  sons  walk  not  in  thy  ways: 
now  make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all  the  nations. 

Samuel  was  angry,  not  for  the  first  or  the  last 
time  in  his  life;  and  he  warned  the  people  that  their 
king  would  he  a  tyrant.  But  they,  fearing  his  de¬ 
crepitude  and  his  sons’  depravity,  wanted  a  person¬ 
able  figure  of  a  king,  who  should  go  before  them, 
lead  them  into  battle,  and  incarnate  the  power  of 
the  whole  nation.  Their  request  was  granted;  the 
first  king  of  Israel  was  the  biggest  and  handsomest 
man  in  the  country,  every  inch  a  king. 

The  tallest  man  came  out  of  the  smallest  tribe, 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  Kish  was  a  mighty  man,  a 
rich  cattle-dealer,  and 

he  had  a  son,  whose  name  was  Saul,  a  choice  young  man,  and 
a  goodly:  and  there  was  not  among  the  children  of  Israel  a 
goodlier  person  than  he:  from  his  shoulders  and  upward  he 
was  higher  than  any  of  the  people. 

I  suppose  he  stood  about  six  feet  nine  in  his  sandals. 

Saul  was  a  cowboy;  and  he  had  gone  out  to  seek 
his  father’s  strayed  cattle  when  he  met  Samuel,  the 
Seer,  the  man  of  God.  The  venerable  prophet  gave 
him  the  astounding  tidings  that  he  was  to  be  king. 
Saul  was  modest  and  unassuming;  he  reminded 
Samuel  that  he  belonged  to  the  smallest  of  the 
twelve  tribes,  and  that  his  family  were  socially 
unimportant;  but  Samuel  took  the  embarrassed 


110  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


young  man  into  the  parlour,  and  gave  him  the  place 
of  honour  at  a  state  dinner  of  thirty  guests.  That 
night  a  bed  was  made  for  Saul  on  the  roof  of  the 
house — perhaps  he  was  too  big  for  the  indoor  furni¬ 
ture — and  the  next  morning  Samuel  anointed  him 
as  the  first  King  of  Israel.  A  peaceful  but  perma? 
nent  change  took  place  in  the  government  of  the 
nation. 

Samuel  made  a  curious  prediction  which  came  to 
pass  that  day.  As  young  Saul  drew  near  to  a  hill, 
he  met  a  company  of  prophets  descending;  they 
were  following  musicians  who  were  playing  on  the 
psaltery,  tabret,  pipe  and  harp,  while  mystic  speech 
filled  the  air;  Saul  was  particularly  affected  by  music; 
his  spirit  was  caught  up  in  a  strange  exaltation, 
and  he  too  shouted  in  ecstasy  and  prophesied  with 
the  rest.  When  his  former  friends  saw  this,  they 
marvelled.  They  were  as  much  astonished  as  college 
students  would  be  to  see  their  champion  athlete 
suddenly  break  out  in  poetry.  Saul’s  utterances 
sounded  like  tall  talk  for  a  young  cattle-man,  and 
they  wondered  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  They 
expressed  their  quite  natural  amazement  in  words 
that  have  become  a  proverb : 

What  is  this  that  has  come  unto  the  son  of  Kish?  Is  Saul 
also  among  the  prophets? 

Saul  became  his  natural  self  after  this  experience, 
for  when  Samuel  was  on  the  point  of  introducing 
him  to  the  people,  and  like  a  convention  speaker 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  Ill 

was  just  about  to  mention  the  name  of  the  candi¬ 
date,  Saul  could  not  be  found;  his  shyness  had  got 
the  better  of  him,  and  he  had  hid  himself.  But 
when  he  was  found  and  presented  to  the  congrega¬ 
tion,  they  were  delighted  with  his  magnificent  ap¬ 
pearance,  and  they  shouted  together: 

GOD  SAVE  THE  KING! 

Samuel  wrote  out  a  constitution,  placed  it  in  a 
book  of  records,  and  dismissed  the  people. 

It  is  always  easy  to  adjust  one’s  self  to  an  ad¬ 
vance  in  the  scale  of  living;  luxuries  soon  become  a 
matter  of  course.  The  big  country  lad,  so  shy  and 
modest  at  first,  quickly  became  used  to  the  pleasures 
of  authority.  It  was  a  bad  thing  for  Israel  to  have 
a  king,  but  it  was  even  worse  for  the  king.  We  see 
the  old,  familiar,  melancholy  story  of  pride,  ego¬ 
tism,  and  an  abuse  of  power  leading  to  degeneration 
and  ruin.  The  pex*sonal  history  of  Saul  is  one  of 
the  most  tragic  in  the  Bible.  Like  Macbeth,  he  was 
a  good  fellow  ruined  by  promotion.  When  we  first 
meet  Saul,  we  see  a  kindly,  modest,  country  boy  of 
superb  physique,  contented  with  his  work,  and  happy 
in  his  exuberant  health  and  strength;  as  soon  as  he 
became  king,  he  exchanged  comfort  for  splendour, 
cheerfulness  for  majesty,  outdoor  life  for  councils 
of  state,  peace  of  mind  for  chronic  anxiety. 

Furthermore,  his  moral  nature  had  never  been 
tried,  and  it  failed  to  meet  the  tests  of  kingship. 
As  his  royal  power  increased,  the  wholesomeness  of 


112  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


his  character  diminished.  Men  are  not  made  for 
unchecked  dominion,  and  almost  invariably  deterior¬ 
ate  with  supreme  power  in  their  hands.  The  in¬ 
stance  of  Napoleon  is  simply  a  revelation  of  human 
nature;  one  sees  the  degeneration  of  the  man  stead¬ 
ily  and  insidiously  accompanying  the  increase  in 
authority.  There  are  not  many  characters  in  his¬ 
tory  like  Abraham  Lincoln;  whereas  Napoleon, 
minus  genius,  is  such  a  familiar  example,  so  true  to 
form,  that  Emerson  took  him  as  the  representative 
of  the  common  man. 

It  is  depressing  to  contemplate  the  wretched  figure 
of  King  Saul  talking  with  the  ghost  of  Samuel,  and 
to  compare  that  colloquy  with  their  first  conversa¬ 
tion.  On  this  last  fateful  interview,  the  same  thing 
had  really  happened  to  both  men;  Samuel  was  an 
actual  ghost,  but  in  reality  no  more  so  than  Saul, 
for  he  was  only  the  ghost  of  his  former  self. 

The  deterioration  of  any  man  or  woman  is  a 
shocking  spectacle ;  but  how  much  more  so  when  the 
individual  has  been  entrusted  with  enormous  power 
and  unbounded  opportunities,  only  to  make  a  wreck, 
involving  his  final  ruin  in  the  general  downfall. 
Saul’s  youth  was  like  a  sunny  spring  morning,  that 
changes  into  the  darkness  of  clouds  and  tempest. 
His  fate  hurts  us,  because  there  is  something  about 
him  that  we  love. 

The  Philistines  were  not  unlike  later  conquerors; 
after  they  had  beaten  Israel,  they  hoped  to  make 
their  enemies  permanently  helpless,  as  so  many  vie- 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  113 

torious  nations  have  vainly  hoped.  There  was  not  a 
single  blacksmith  left  among  the  Hebrews: 

For  the  Philistines  said,  Lest  the  Hebrews  make  them  swords 
and  spears: 

But  all  the  Israelites  went  down  to  the  Philistines,  to  sharpen 
every  man  his  share,  and  his  coulter,  and  his  axe,  and  his 
mattock . 

So  it  came  to  pass  in  the  day  of  battle,  that  there  was  neither 
sword  nor  spear  found  in  the  hand  of  any  of  the  people  that 
were  with  Saul  and  Jonathan:  but  with  Saul  and  with  Jonathan 
his  son  was  there  found. 


Like  Frederick  II,  King  of  Prussia,  Saul  was  fond 
of  tall  soldiers,  and  chose  a  special  company  of  them 
to  be  the  royal  bodyguard.  He  searched  the  whole 
nation  for  individual  athletes;  “and  when  Saul  saw 
any  strong  man,  or  any  valiant  man,  he  took  him 
unto  him.”  This  company  of  picked  men-at-arms, 
every  one  splendid  in  figure  and  famous  for  deeds 
of  prowess,  must  have  made  an  imposing  appearance 
as  they  followed  the  mighty  king,  majestic  in  stature, 
head  and  shoulders  above  them  all.  These  were  the 
good  days  of  Saul’s  reign,  when  he  wore  golden 
opinions  in  their  newest  gloss. 

One  of  the  most  splendid  and  lovable  young  men 
in  the  Bible  is  the  crown  prince  Jonathan;  he  was 
mighty  and  valiant,  bold  as  a  lion,  fearless  in  dan¬ 
ger,  a  good  son  and  good  patriot,  and  so  loyal  to 
his  friend  David  that  he  was  willing  to  lose  his  own 
rights  rather  than  have  David  suffer.  He  was  a 


114  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


natural-born  soldier,  who  fought  with  wisdom  and 
courage,  and  who  died  on  the  field  of  battle. 

The  Philistines  had  left  a  garrison  at  Geba,  and, 
as  frequently  happens,  the  alien  soldiers  had  cor¬ 
rupted  the  natives.  Young  Jonathan  went  forth 
to  war,  and  smote  this  garrison,  revealing  at  the 
same  time  the  apostasy  and  abominable  practices  of 
the  Israelites  there  dwelling.  The  Philistine  host 
came  out  from  their  country  hot  for  revenge,  and 
the  Hebrews  hid  “in  caves,  and  in  thickets,  and  in 
rocks,  and  in  high  places,  and  in  pits.”  While  the 
unarmed  population  were  in  this  state  of  terror  and 
apprehension,  Jonathan,  without  telling  his  father, 
took  his  armour-bearer,  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
youth  after  his  own  heart,  loving  adventure  more 
than  life,  and  the  two,  climbing  up  the  face  of  the 
rock  with  their  hands  and  feet,  rushed  upon  the 
army,  like  a  pair  of  hounds  into  a  herd.  They  slew 
man  after  man. 

Afar  off,  the  watchmen  of  Saul  observed  the  con¬ 
fusion  in  the  enemy’s  ranks  and  reported  it;  Saul 
gave  the  word,  the  Israelites  advanced,  and  all  the 
people  came  out  of  their  hiding-places  and  fell  upon 
the  Philistines,  while  the  natives  rose  against  the 
garrison;  there  was  a  terrific  slaughter.  But  a  curi¬ 
ous  thing  happened,  which  is  of  deep  significance, 
for  it  proved  to  Saul  that  he  was  a  constitutional 
monarch,  when  he  had  fondly  believed  himself  to  be 
absolute  and  irresponsible.  He  had  forbidden  every 
man  to  eat  until  night  came  and  their  revenge  should 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  115 

be  complete.  Naturally,  Jonathan  had  not  heard 
the  king’s  command,  and  being  almost  faint  with  the 
heat  of  his  exertions,  and  seeing  honey  in  a  wood, 
he  ate  of  it;  the  relief  he  felt  could  not  have  been 
better  expressed  than  by  the  Bible  phrase:  “His 
eyes  were  enlightened.”  Then  the  people,  in  horror, 
told  him  of  his  father’s  words,  but  the  sensible 
Jonathan  declared  his  father  to  be  in  error,  and  that 
it  would  have  been  better  for  all  the  people  to  eat, 
and  so  be  more  efficient  in  the  fight.  On  that  night, 
Saul,  seeing  that  something  was  wrong,  had  lots 
drawn,  and  Jonathan  was  taken.  Then  came  the 
first  clash  between  the  prince  and  his  father,  Jona¬ 
than  saying  ironically,  “I  did  but  taste  a  little  honey 

. and  lo,  I  must  die.”  The  wilful  king  replied, 

“Thou  shalt  surely  die,  Jonathan.” 

Saul  immediately  discovered  that  there  was  such 
a  thing  as  public  sentiment,  and  that  it  was  stronger 
than  the  royal  power.  Many  kings  after  his  day 
were  to  ascertain  the  same  fact — what  a  pity  that 
there  were  not  more  instances!  We  do  not  know 
who  the  spokesman  was  on  this  occasion;  perhaps 
angry  resentment  found  many  voices.  The  people 
said  that  not  one  hair  of  Jonathan’s  head  should 
fall  to  the  ground — and  the  king  found  it  advisable 
not  to  press  the  matter.  This  is  one  of  the  first 
cases  in  history  when  public  sentiment  manifested 
itself  successfully  against  the  ruling  authority,  and, 
as  such,  deserves  this  especial  mention. 

Saul  was  an  able  military  leader,  and  the  Israel- 


116  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


ites  were  frequently  victorious  under  his  leadership. 
When  he  defeated  the  Amalekites,  he  did  not  fulfill 
to  the  letter  the  stern  directions  of  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  who  through  Samuel  told  him  to  kill  the 
women,  the  babies,  the  sucklings  in  their  mothers’ 
arms,  and  all  the  valuable  cattle.  (Wicked  Amale- 
kite  babies!) 

Unfortunately,  Saul  was  not  moved  by  any  pity, 
for  the  children  were  slaughtered;  King  Agag  was 
spared  out  of  royal  courtesy,  and  the  best  of  the 
cattle  were  saved,  ostensibly  to  offer  up  to  Jehovah, 
but  probably  for  more  practical  purposes.  Saul  was 
always  afraid  of  Samuel;  he  had  the  attitude  of  a 
bad  boy  toward  a  severe  private  tutor;  but  the  rea¬ 
son  he  gave  Samuel  for  sparing  the  cattle  is  signifi¬ 
cant,  coming  so  soon  after  the  public  demonstration 
about  Jonathan:  “I  feared  the  people,  and  obeyed 
their  voice.”  Saul  could  not  bear  to  see  Samuel 
leaving  him,  and  with  his  powerful  hand  he  clutched 
the  robe  of  the  prophet,  which  tore  in  his  grasp, 
Samuel  using  the  rent  as  an  allegory  of  the  rending 
of  Saul’s  kingdom. 

Samuel  relented  at  Saul’s  despairing  plea,  but  it 
was  an  unfortunate  decision  for  Agag.  It  is  a  vivid 
scene,  when  the  king  of  the  Amalekites,  who  now 
believed  in  his  reprieve,  came  toward  Samuel,  walk¬ 
ing  delicately,  with  self-conscious,  embarrassed  and 
mincing  steps,  saying,  “Surely  the  bitterness  of  death 
is  past.”  They  were  his  last  words,  for  Samuel 
immediately  dissected  him. 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  117 

Samuel  was  an  incorruptible  Judge ;  and  the  fact 
that  he  took  pride  in  what  we  regard  to-day  as  a 
matter  of  course  would  seem  to  indicate  that  high 
officials  in  Israel  were  not  always  what  they  should 
be,  probably  on  the  whole  decidedly  inferior  to  court 
officials  in  the  twentieth  century.  Samuel  said  to 

the  people,  “I  am  old  and  gray-headed . and 

I  have  walked  before  you  from  my  childhood  unto 
this  day.” 

Behold,  here  I  am: . whom  have  I  defrauded?  whom 

have  I  oppressed?  or  of  whose  hand  have  I  received  any  bribe 
to  blind  mine  eyes  therewith?  and  I  will  restore  it  you. 

After  a  number  of  chapters  dealing  with  the  ad¬ 
ventures  of  Saul  and  of  David,  one  forgets  Samuel, 
and  it  is  with  a  shock  that  the  twenty-fifth  chapter 
opens  with  the  words,  “And  Samuel  died.”  One 
feels  that  a  pillar  of  the  house  is  fallen,  and  that 
calamity  will  visit  Israel  in  his  absence. 

Samuel  is  the  only  authentic  ghost  in  the  Bible; 
the  only  spirit  who  rose  from  the  grave  in  palpable 
form,  spoke  definite  words,  and  returned  to  his  slum¬ 
ber.  King  Saul’s  visit  to  the  medium  has  a  strangely 
modern  air.  It  was  the  last  night  of  his  life;  he 
had  well-founded  fears  that  on  the  morrow  he  would 
be  defeated  by  the  Philistines.  He  missed  sadly  the 
counsel  of  his  old  tutor;  and  he  enquired  of  God  by 
dreams,  by  casting  lots,  and  by  prophets;  all  in  vain. 
As  a  last  resort,  he  visited  a  medium,  the  witch  of 
Endor;  once  more  his  story  reminds  us  of  Macbeth. 


118  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  mediums  were  strictly  forbidden  by  law;  it  was 
a  capital  offence  to  practice  the  art.  But  the  desire 
of  human  nature  to  communicate  with  spirits  was 
then  and  is  now  so  strong  that  no  legal  measures  or 
no  power  of  reasoning  can  stop  the  traffic.  Saul 
went  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  in  disguise, 
and  when  the  woman  asked  him  with  whom  he  would 
like  to  speak,  he  said  in  a  voice  of  authority  (which 
betrayed  his  identity),  “Bring  me  up  Samuel.”  To 
the  amazement  of  the  old  witch,  who  had  hitherto 
relied  on  hocus-pocus,  Samuel  actually  appeared. 
She  cried  out,  “An  old  man  cometh  up;  and  he  is 
covered  with  a  mantle.”  Death  had  not  changed 
the  character  of  the  old  prophet;  he  that  was  holy 
was  holy  still.  He  asked  sternly  why  Saul  had 
broken  into  his  quiet  sleep ;  Saul  replied  pathetically 
(and  our  hearts  go  out  to  him)  :  “I  am  sore  dis¬ 
tressed;  for  the  Philistines  make  war  against  me, 
and  God  is  departed  from  me.”  Samuel  informed 
him  that  everything  had  happened  as  he  had  pre¬ 
dicted  (I  told  you  so),  and  then  added  grimly,  “To¬ 
morrow  shalt  thou  and  thy  sons  be  with  me.” 

Saul  fainted.  The  next  day  the  battle  went  sore 
against  him.  The  loyal  Jonathan  fell,  fighting  for 
his  father’s  kingdom.  Saul  himself  was  cruelly 
wounded  by  the  Philistine  archers,  and  asked  his 
armour-bearer  to  put  an  end  to  his  sufferings;  the 
boy  was  afraid,  so  Saul,  like  an  old  Roman,  fell  on 
his  own  sword. 

The  character  of  the  First  King  is  not  impeccable, 


RUTH,  SAMUEL,  JONATHAN,  ETC.  119 

but  he  was  very  human,  and  had  the  faults  that 
mark  the  natural  man.  The  happiest  years  of  his 
life  came  in  his  careless  youth,  riding  over  the  hills 
after  the  herds;  there  was  nothing  kingly  about  him 
except  his  appearance.  His  jealousy  of  David  is 
quite  natural;  the  girls  sang,  Saul  has  killed  his  thou¬ 
sands,  and  David  his  ten  thousands.  He  could 
hardly  be  expected  to  hear  that  song  with  enthusi¬ 
asm.  I  suppose  there  are  some  ministers  of  the 
gospel  who,  if  they  should  hear  a  song  proclaiming 
that  they  had  saved  a  thousand  souls,  while  their 
successors  in  the  pastorate  had  saved  ten  thousand, 
might,  in  their  glad  rejoicing  over  the  addition  to 
the  elect,  feel  some  tincture  of  pique.  Saul’s  jeal¬ 
ousy  of  young  David  was  further  inflamed  by  the 
fact  that  his  own  children  were  mad  about  his  rival; 
Jonathan  loved  him  to  distraction,  and  Saul’s  daugh¬ 
ter  Michal  fell  in  love  with  him.  Saul  was  no  more 
vain  and  no  more  jealous  than  the  average  Amer¬ 
ican. 

He  had  no  genius  for  government;  he  was  more 
captain  than  statesman.  He  was  rash  and  impulsive, 
given  to  outbursts  of  passion,  followed  by  hearty 
repentance.  He  was  subject  to  terrible  fits  of  de¬ 
pression,  nervous  melancholia  so  severe  and  so  pro¬ 
longed  that  he  lay  as  if  in  a  stupour.  The  only 
thing  that  could  help  him  then  was  music,  of  which 
he  was  inordinately  fond.  We  have  seen  how,  when 
he  heard  the  orchestra  playing  with  the  prophets, 
he  went  into  an  ecstasy;  so  when  this  cloud  of 


120  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


despondency  darkened  his  mind,  David  came  and 
played  music — perhaps  the  old  cowboy  tunes — and 
he  was  refreshed  and  took  up  his  work  again.  No 
one  has  ever  understood  this  peculiar  melancholy 
either  then  or  now;  the  Bible  diagnoses  it  as  posses¬ 
sion  by  an  evil  spirit,  which  well  describes  its  effects; 
this  evil  spirit  could  be  banished  only  by  music,  the 
method  so  familiar  to-day  in  the  treatment  of  nerv¬ 
ous  diseases.  Browning  has  poetically  recreated  the 
effect  on  Saul  of  David’s  music. 

Looking  back  on  Saul’s  life  and  career,  it  does  not 
appear  that  he  was  either  sensual  or  vindictive,  the 
two  most  common  vices  of  monarchs;  indeed,  he  was 
rather  like  a  big,  grown-up  boy,  incapable  of  dealing 
with  problems  of  state.  In  comparison  with  the 
average  character  of  kings,  both  in  ancient  and  in 
modern  history,  Saul  meets  the  test  rather  well. 


VI 


KING  DAVID 


Neither  Saint  nor  Superman — Multiform  Ability — His 
Radiant  Youth — The  Combat  With  Goliath — The 
S  o  n  a  t  a  —  David  Embarrassed  by  Popularity — His 
Friendship  With  Prince  Jonathan — His  Marriage 
With  Princess  Michal — Their  Quarrel  and  Separa¬ 
tion — Saul's  Anger  at  the  Dinner  Table — Parting  of 
David  and  Jonathan — The  Lie  to  Ahimelech  and  Its 
Consequences — David's  Simulation  of  Madness — A 
Leader  of  Sedition — The  Pretty  New  Wife — Lamen¬ 
tation  of  David  for  Saul  and  Jonathan — Ishbosheth 
the  King — His  Assassination — David  Monarch  of  All 
He  Surveyed — His  Kindness  to  Mephibosheth  and  Its 
Sequel — David's  Sin  and  Crime — Nathan  the  Bold — 
The  Rebellion  of  Prince  Absalom — Character  of  Gen¬ 
eral  Joab — David's  Grief  for  His  Son — Murder  of 
Amasa — David's  Feeble  Old  Age — Presumption  of 
Prince  Adonijah — Summary  of  David's  Character — 
Personality  of  David. 


VI 


KING  DAVID 

David  was  neither  a  saint  nor  a  superman;  he  was 
an  epitome  of  manhood.  He  was  a  representative 
of  masculinity,  and  had  the  virtues  and  vices  that 
often  accompany  virility.  Physically,  mentally, 
spiritually  he  may  stand  as  the  genius  of  his  race. 
Leave  David  out  of  the  Bible,  there  would  be  vast 
empty  spaces.  In  his  own  person  he  represents  the 
athlete,  the  shepherd,  the  poet,  the  musician,  the 
mystic,  the  man-of-war,  the  father,  the  friend,  and 
the  statesman.  His  deeds,  his  poems,  and  his 
prayers  are  alike  immortal.  In  spite  of  his  gross 
sins,  he  had  a  certain  greatness  of  heart  that  drew 
the  love  of  men  and  women  who  knew  him,  that 
still  commands  the  affection  and  homage  of  those 
who  read  the  story  of  his  life.  As  a  shepherd  lad, 
he  was  the  incarnation  of  the  strength,  beauty,  and 
grace  of  youth.  King  Saul  commanded  his  servants 
to  bring  to  the  court  a  first-class  musician. 

Then  answered  one  of  the  servants,  and  said,  Behold,  I  have 
seen  a  son  of  Jesse  the  Bethlehemite,  that  is  cunning  in  playing, 
and  a  mighty  valiant  man,  and  a  man  of  war,  and  prudent  in 
matters,  and  a  comely  person,  and  the  Lord  is  with  him. 

123 


124  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


When  Saul’s  incompetence  became  manifest, 
Samuel  was  forced  by  the  divine  voice  to  commit 
high  treason,  to  appoint  a  new  king  while  the  throne 
was  still  occupied.  It  would  seem  that  there  was 
then  a  higher  duty  than  obedience  to  the  reigning 
power.  Samuel  called  Jesse  to  a  sacrifice,  and 
passed  his  numerous  sons  in  review.  The  first  one, 
Eliab,  was  a  superb  creature,  of  such  imposing  face 
and  figure  that  Samuel  said  to  himself,  This  is  the 
man.  But  the  Voice  whispered  to  him  that  the  true 
value  is  not  in  outward  appearance,  but  in  the  heart. 
It  was  a  handsome  family,  the  family  of  Jesse;  and 
the  proud  father  ordered  his  seven  sons  to  stand 
in  succession  before  the  prophet.  It  is  like  a  fairy 
story,  where  the  obscure  and  neglected  child  turns 
out  to  be  the  favourite  of  fortune.  Samuel  was 
puzzled;  he  asked  Jesse  if  these  were  all  the  sons 
he  had.  It  appeared  that  Jesse  had  not  thought  it 
worth  while  to  bring  the  youngest,  who  was  out 
keeping  the  sheep. 

And  he  sent,  and  brought  him  in.  Now  he  was  ruddy,  and 
withal  of  a  beautiful  countenance,  and  goodly  to  look  to. 

To  the  amazement  of  the  brothers,  who,  how¬ 
ever,  seem  to  have  behaved  better  than  the  brothers 
of  Joseph,  young  David  was  anointed  king  in  the 
presence  of  the  family. 

David  had  not  wasted  those  long  days  in  the 
pasture;  he  had  become  an  accomplished  musician, 
he  had  composed  much  poetry,  and  he  had  discov- 


KING  DAVID 


125 


ered  his  prodigious  strength  in  killing  a  predatory- 
lion  and  a  bear  with  his  hands.  Best  of  all,  he  had 
had  many  hours  of  quiet  reflection  and  thought;  in 
the  solitude  of  nature,  in  communion  with  the  hills, 
he  had  drawn  close  to  God. 

At  the  first  interview,  Saul  did  not  dream  that  the 
boy  was  to  be  his  successor;  he  saw  only  a  radiant 
youth,  who  had  come  to  charm  his  sad  mind  with 
music.  He  loved  him  at  first  sight,  kept  him  in  his 
presence,  and  made  him  his  armour-bearer. 

David’s  first  exploit  was  to  destroy  the  Philistine 
heavyweight  champion,  Goliath.  He  was  an  enor¬ 
mous  fellow.  His  height  was  six  cubits  and  a  span. 
Now  we  do  not  know  exactly  how  long  the  Bible 
cubit  is,  but  it  is  safe  to  call  it  about  twenty  inches; 
and  the  span  was  probably  half  a  cubit,  so  that  the 
gentleman  from  Gath  was  ten  feet  six — a  tall  man 
in  any  company.  He  was  as  strong  as  he  was  tall; 
for  his  breastplate  weighed  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds,  and  the  tip  of  his  spear  weighed  twenty 
pounds.  Standing  straight  in  shining  armour,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  he  would  have  attracted  attention 
anywhere. 

He  came  out  in  front  of  his  countrymen  every 
day  for  forty  days,  and  every  time  he  challenged 
the  children  of  Israel  to  produce  a  champion  to  con¬ 
tend  with  him,  that  they  might  have  a  fight  to  a 
finish.  Every  morning  and  every  evening  he  made 
his  little  speech,  until  the  Israelites  found  the  repe¬ 
tition  extremely  tiresome;  but  as  no  one  seemed 


126  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


eager  to  accept  Goliath’s  invitation,  the  situation 
continued  without  noticeable  alteration. 

David’s  three  big  brothers  were  in  Saul’s  army; 
the  boy  had  gone  back  to  feed  his  father’s  sheep. 
Jesse  sent  him  to  the  camp  with  food  from  the  farm 
for  his  brothers,  a  fine  present  for  their  captain, 
and  bade  him  return  with  news  of  the  family.  As 
David  drew  near  to  the  trench,  he  saw  the  host 
moving  out  in  battle  array,  and  their  singing  and 
shouting  fired  his  young  blood.  Then,  to  his  sur¬ 
prise,  the  big  Philistine  stepped  out,  made  his  cus¬ 
tomary  remarks,  and  the  Israelites  fled  from  his 
presence.  David  shot  questions  right  and  left,  and 
soon  learned  all  there  was  to  know;  also  of  the 
glorious  reward  that  would  be  given  to  anyone  who 
could  eliminate  the  giant.  His  oldest  brother  Eliab 
heard  him  talking,  and  was  disgusted.  This  is  no 
place  for  a  boy;  what  do  you  mean  by  leaving  your 
sheep?  I  know  what’s  the  matter  with  you;  you 
have  sneaked  off  from  home  and  your  work,  to  see 
the  battle;  now  get  back  as  fast  as  you  can.  But 
this  big-brother  sneer  made  little  impression  on 
David,  for  he  was  full  of  a  great  plan.  He  talked 
so  volubly  that  Saul  sent  for  him ;  and  the  king  must 
have  laughed  outright  when  David  told  him  that  he 
would  fight  the  Philistine.  But  his  boyish  eloquence 
so  moved  the  monarch  that  he  won  permission. 

Goliath  looked  more  like  a  fighting-machine  than 
like  a  human  being;  but  as  we  know  to-day  that  a 
fifty-thousand-ton  battleship  can  be  destroyed  by  one 


KING  DAVID 


127 


torpedo,  so  David  knew  that  if  he  could  hit  Goliath 
in  an  unprotected  place  with  his  sling-shot,  it  would 
be  all  over  with  the  big  champion.  He  had  had 
plenty  of  time  to  practice,  and  had  become  as  skilful 
as  many  an  American  boy  to-day;  and  he  went  forth 
with  his  small  but  dangerously  offensive  weapon. 
As  for  his  defensive  armour,  that  was  in  his  feet; 
he  took  off  Saul’s  cumbrous  suit  of  mail,  for  if  he 
did  not  succeed  in  hitting  the  Philistine,  he  did  not 
want  anything  to  interfere  with  his  speed  in  running 
away.  He  knew  that  Goliath  was  not  dressed  for 
sprinting. 

The  disgust  of  the  giant  when  he  saw  the  fair¬ 
faced  boy  advancing  found  expression  in  words ;  but 
David  was  also  a  good  talker,  and  after  a  slanging 
match,  he  took  careful  aim,  and  hit  the  big  face  with 
the  first  shot,  so  that  Goliath  was  knocked  out. 
Before  he  could  recover  consciousness,  David  was 
upon  him,  and  killed  him  with  his  own  sword.  It 
must  be  granted  that  in  this  exploit  David  exhibited 
more  skill  than  courage ;  but  when  you  are  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  superior  strength,  you  must  use  your  wits, 
like  Jack-the-Giant-killer. 

It  is  pleasant  to  remember  that  the  composer 
Johann  Kuhnau  (1660-1722),  who  immediately 
preceded  Bach  as  organist  of  St.  Thomas’s  church 
in  Leipzig,  and  was  the  originator  of  the  sonata  as  a 
composition  in  movements,  wrote  six  sonatas  called 
Musical  Representation  of  Some  Bible  Stories.  The 
piece  dealing  with  David  and  Goliath  is  more  quaint 


128  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


than  impressive,  but  it  gives  delight  still.  As  it  is 
not  generally  known,  the  separate  movements — real 
programme  music — -are  worth  transcribing. 

1.  The  stamping  and  defying  of  Goliath. 

2.  The  terror  of  the  Israelites  and  their  prayer  to  God  at 
the  sight  of  their  terrible  enemy. 

3.  The  courage  of  David,  his  desire  to  humble  the  pride  of 
the  giant,  and  his  child-like  faith  in  God. 

4.  The  contest  of  words  between  David  and  Goliath,  and  the 
combat,  in  which  Goliath,  wounded  in  the  forehead  by  a  stone 
from  the  sling  of  David,  falls  to  the  ground  and  is  slain. 

5.  The  flight  of  the  Philistines,  pursued  and  slain  with  the 
sword  by  the  Israelites. 

6.  The  exultation  of  the  Israelites  over  their  victory. 

7.  The  praise  of  David,  sung  by  the  women  in  alternate 
choirs. 

8.  The  general  joy  and  triumph  expressing  itself  in  hearty 
dancing  and  leaping. 

Just  as  the  Bible  has  been  the  quarry  for  hundreds 
of  stage-plays,  so  it  affords  excellent  material  for 
instrumental  music. 

The  dismay  of  the  Philistines  was  equalled  only 
by  the  joy  of  the  Israelites;  and  from  that  moment 
until  his  death,  David  was  a  popular  hero.  Saul 
gave  him  a  high  command  in  the  army,  and  might 
have  continued  to  love  him  if  the  women  had  not 
gone  out  to  meet  David  with  singing  and  dancing 
and  an  odious  comparison.  “And  Saul  eyed  David 
from  that  day  forward.”  On  the  morrow  Saul  had 
one  of  his  attacks  of  melancholia,  and  as  David  was 


KING  DAVID 


129 


playing  music  in  his  presence,  Saul  hurled  a  javelin 
at  him;  but  he  was  not  so  good  a  shot  as  the  young 
man,  for  he  missed  him  twice. 

Like  many  another,  David  found  his  popularity 
embarrassing,  for  he  knew  that  the  king  would  never 
forgive  him;  he  behaved  with  modesty  and  tact,  and 
the  splendid  loyalty  that  he  had  perhaps  inherited 
from  his  great-grandmother  made  him  true  to  Saul 
to  the  end;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  For  the  more 
modestly  he  behaved,  the  more  the  people  loved  him 
and  the  more  violent  and  uncontrollable  became  the 
jealousy  of  the  king. 

David  lived  at  court;  and  there  began  that  noble 
and  beautiful  friendship  between  Jonathan  and 
David  that  has  added  to  the  beauty  of  the  Bible  and 
to  the  glory  of  human  nature.  Few  things  can  ex¬ 
ceed  in  duration  true  friendship  between  man  and 
man;  as  it  has  no  physical  foundation,  it  does  not 
easily  decay.  It  is  interesting  to  remember  that 
David’s  friendship  with  the  king’s  son  lasted  for¬ 
ever;  whereas  his  love  for  the  king’s  daughter, 
whom  he  took  in  marriage,  burned  out  and  became 
extinct.  Princess  Michal  loved  David,  her  maids 
told  Saul  about  it,  and  he  was  pleased;  for  he  saw 
a  way  of  destroying  him.  He  told  his  servants  to 
let  David  know  that  he  was  to  become  the  king’s 
son-in-law;  David  of  course  made  a  modest  dis¬ 
claimer,  saying  that  he  could  provide  no  worthy 
marriage  settlement.  Then,  inspired  by  Saul,  they 
told  him  that  if  he  would  kill  a  hundred  Philistines, 


130  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  deed  would  be  accepted  as  dowry.  The  inten¬ 
tion  was  of  course  to  have  the  rash  young  man  lose 
his  life  in  the  attempt.  But  David  went  out  with 
his  own  company  and  slew  two  hundred;  so  Michal 
became  his  wife.  His  popularity  increased  enor¬ 
mously;  in  the  quaint  Bible  phrase,  “his  name  was 
much  set  by.” 

Throwing  the  javelin  seems  to  have  been  Saul’s 
favorite  indoor  sport,  though  he  was  an  indifferent 
shot;  he  once  more  missed  David,  the  weapon 
quivering  in  the  wall,  and  he  missed  his  son  Jona¬ 
than  at  close  range.  Perhaps  he  was  too  angry  to 
shoot  straight.  Then  he  planned  to  kill  David  in 
his  bed;  but  Michal  let  her  husband  down  through 
a  window,  and  put  a  dummy  in  his  place,  pretending 
to  her  father  that  David  had  threatened  her  if  she 
would  not  connive  at  his  escape.  It  is  interesting  to 
observe  that  this  dummy  was  the  ikon,  or  family 
god,  showing  that  the  Israelites  were  forever  break¬ 
ing  the  second  commandment. 

It  is  a  pity  that  this  marriage,  which  began  as  a 
love-match,  should  have  ended  in  a  quarrel,  but  the 
cause  of  the  separation  was  quite  natural.  Michal 
must  have  been  an  attractive  woman,  for  after  Saul 
quarrelled  with  David,  the  king  gave  her  to  a  new 
husband  by  the  name  of  Phalti,  who  was  so  uxorious 
that  when  later  he  was  forced  to  deliver  her  back  to 
David,  he  followed  behind  her — poor  fellow — 
weeping.  He  made  such  a  noise  that  Captain  Abner 
peremptorily  ordered  him  to  go  home,  like  a  dog 
whose  services  are  no  longer  required. 


KING  DAVID 


131 


And  her  husband  went  with  her  along  weeping  behind  her 
to  Bahurim.  Then  said  Abner  unto  him,  Go,  return.  And  he 
returned. 

Some  time  after  this,  King  David  was  coming 
from  a  victory,  bringing  back  the  ark  of  God.  He 
was  in  such  high  spirits  that  he  danced  before  the 
Lord  with  all  his  might,  very  scantily  dressed;  as 
the  procession  entered  the  city,  Michal  looked  out 
of  a  window,  and  there,  to  her  disgust,  she  saw  her 
husband  the  king  leaping  and  dancing  in  the  street. 
With  that  regard  for  conventional  decency  so  much 
stronger  in  women  than  in  men,  she  despised  him; 
she  thought  he  was  making  a  fool  of  himself.  It  is 
easy  to  understand  her  rage  and  shame ;  no  woman 
likes  to  have  her  husband  make  himself  ridiculous. 
When  David  came  into  the  house  in  bright  glee  and 
wholly  satisfied  with  himself,  his  wife  greeted  him 
in  a  manner  that  first  amazed  and  then  infuriated 
him.  She  told  him  acidly  that  he  had  made  a  vulgar 
and  silly  exhibition,  that  everyone  was  secretly 
laughing  at  him.  “You  thought  you  were  just  won¬ 
derful,  didn’t  you?  Well,  you  made  an  ass  out  of 
yourself.”  David’s  male  pride  was  horribly  hurt; 
he  answered  brutally,  and  as  so  often  happens  in 
domestic  quarrels,  he  insulted  her  family,  reminding 
her  cruelly  that  he  had  been  chosen  over  her  father; 
that  he  was  better  than  any  person  in  her  father’s 
house.  Now  he  was  going  to  do  as  he  pleased;  he 
would  dance  even  more  vilely  than  she  had  seen  him. 
This  was  the  end;  he  never  spoke  to  her  again. 
Unfortunate,  but  human. 


132  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Such  is  the  power  of  the  tongue.  David  had  not 
hesitated  to  take  her  back  from  an  intervening  hus- 
band;  his  pride,  which  had  not  recoiled  from  that, 
could  not  forgive  her  ridicule. 

When  David  saw  that  everything  he  did  only 
increased  Saul’s  anger,  he  had  a  long  talk  with 
Jonathan  about  it,  and  the  two  young  men  swore 
eternal  friendship,  Jonathan  begging  David  not  to 
forget  his  children  when  they  were  fatherless.  He 
seems  to  have  been  certain  of  the  speedy  approach 
of  disaster  to  the  king,  and  he  knew  that  he  must 
fall  with  his  father,  like  a  loyal  prince  of  the  house. 
It  is  pleasant  to  observe  that  he  never  joined  David 
in  public  opposition  to  the  king,  though  doubtless  he 
wished  to  do  so.  At  this  time  they  arranged  a  sys¬ 
tem  of  signals.  To-morrow  was  the  feast  of  the 
new  moon;  and  David  knew  that  his  absence  from 
table  would  be  observed,  though  he  did  not  dare  to 
be  present.  The  dinner-time  came;  Saul  took  his 
accustomed  seat  by  the  wall,  and  Abner,  the  captain 
of  the  host,  sat  at  his  side;  the  king  glared  at 
David’s  empty  place,  but  said  nothing.  On  the 
second  day,  however,  he  asked  Jonathan  what  had 
become  of  David,  for  he  knew  well  enough  that 
Jonathan  could  tell  him,  if  he  would.  The  prince 
began  to  defend  his  friend,  and  Saul  threw  a  javelin 
across  the  table  at  him;  Jonathan  rose,  wild  with 
rage,  and  walked  out,  leaving  his  dinner  untasted. 
The  next  day,  by  a  previously  arranged  signal,  Jona¬ 
than  went  out  in  the  field  with  a  lad  carrying  his 


KING  DAVID 


133 


arrows,  ostensibly  to  practise  marksmanship;  but 
David  was  hidden.  When  Jonathan  shot  the  arrows 
beyond  the  place  where  his  friend  lay,  and  told  the 
boy  to  pick  them  up,  David  knew  that  the  king  was 
obdurate.  The  boy  took  the  bow  and  arrows  and 
returned  to  the  city.  No  sooner  had  he  disappeared 
than  David  sprang  up;  the  two  friends  embraced, 
and  renewed  their  vows  of  friendship  in  one  of  the 
most  deeply  affecting  scenes  to  be  found  in  litera¬ 
ture.  Jonathan  returned  to  the  city  and  David  wan¬ 
dered  off  into  exile;  it  is  impossible  to  say  which  of 
them  suffered  most. 

David  went  away  to  Nob,  and  there  asked  Ahime- 
lech  the  high  priest  for  food  and  weapons,  telling 
him  a  lie,  saying  that  he  was  an  emissary  of  Saul, 
and  that  the  king’s  business  required  haste.  Ahime- 
lech  loved  David,  and  gave  him  the  communion- 
bread  and  the  huge  sword  of  the  dead  Goliath, 
which  David  was  apparently  able  to  swing.  All 
might  have  been  well  if  a  certain  man  named  Doeg, 
devoted  to  Saul,  had  not  happened  to  be  there.  He 
informed  against  David;  the  king  sent  for  Ahime- 
lech,  who  came  with  the  priests;  despite  his  protesta¬ 
tions  of  innocence,  Saul  ordered  the  footmen  to  slay 
the  whole  company;  they  did  not  dare  to  commit 
this  sacrilege,  but  Doeg  had  no  scruples,  and  single- 
handed  he  butchered  eighty-five  of  the  holy  and 
defenceless  men.  Many  centuries  later,  the  poet 
Dryden  helped  to  hand  Doeg  down  to  infamy. 

One  of  Ahimelech’s  sons  escaped,  and  told  David 


134  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  tragic  news;  David  was  overwhelmed  with  re¬ 
morse  because  of  his  lie.  He  said,  “I  knew  Doeg 
would  tell,  when  I  saw  him  there.  I  am  now  guilty 
of  the  death  of  all  the  members  of  your  family.” 
But  the  young  man  knew  he  was  safer  with  David 
than  anywhere  else,  so  he  accompanied  him  on  his 
wanderings — -one  more  evidence  of  the  confidence 
that  David  inspired  in  those  who  knew  him. 

Although  David  behaved  toward  Saul  with  for¬ 
bearance  and  loyalty,  the  king  was  determined  to 
make  it  a  case  of  civil  war.  He  proclaimed  David 
to  be  a  public  enemy,  and  pursued  him  with  the  royal 
army.  Curiously  enough,  David  fled  to  Achish,  the 
king  of  Gath,  the  old  home  of  Goliath;  he  was  im¬ 
mediately  recognised  by  the  people,  and  he  simu¬ 
lated  madness;  he  “scrabbled  on  the  doors  of  the 
gate,  and  let  his  spittle  fall  down  upon  his  beard.” 
He  was  a  good  actor,  and  completely  deceived  King 
Achish,  who  exclaimed  in  a  fashion  that  is  not  with¬ 
out  humour.  David  was  brought  before  his  pres¬ 
ence  as  a  dangerous  enemy,  but  his  crazy  behaviour 
was  so  convincing  that  the  king  said: 

Lo,  ye  see  the  man  is  mad:  wherefore  then  have  ye  brought 
him  to  me? 

H  ave  I  need  of  mad  men,  that  ye  have  brought  this  fellow 
to  play  the  mad  man  in  my  presence?  shall  this  fellow  come 
into  my  house? 

Although  David  was  in  reality  no  rebel,  he  was 
generally  so  regarded;  his  father  and  his  brothers 


KING  DAVID  135 

joined  him,  which  must  have  taken  considerable 
courage;  and  a  natural  thing  happened. 

And  everyone  that  was  in  distress,  and  everyone  that  was 
in  debt,  and  everyone  that  was  discontented,  gathered  them¬ 
selves  unto  him;  and  he  became  a  captain  over  them:  and  there 
were  with  him  about  four  hundred  men. 

He  must  have  been  disgusted  with  this  rag,  tag, 
and  bobtail  of  an  army,  but  there  was  no  help  for 
it;  his  life  was  in  daily  danger.  He  was  the  fox, 
and  the  royal  pack  of  hounds  chased  him  from  cover 
to  cover. 

Several  times  he  could  have  killed  Saul;  but  he 
loved  the  king,  and  had  a  sacred  reverence  for  the 
office.  Once  he  cut  off  a  piece  of  Saul’s  cloak,  and 
at  a  safe  distance  held  it  up  to  the  sight  of  the  king, 
as  proof  of  his  loyalty.  He  also  made  a  flattering 
speech,  trying  to  prove  to  Saul  that  he  was  making 
much  ado  about  nothing. 

After  whom  is  the  king  of  Israel  come  out?  after  whom  dost 
thou  pursue?  after  a  dead  dog,  after  a  flea? 

This  time  Saul  wept,  and  repented,  saying,  Is  this 
thy  voice,  my  son  David?  And  for  a  time  they 
were  reconciled. 

While  still  in  exile,  David,  in  a  dramatic  manner, 
obtained  a  new  and  beautiful  wife.  It  seems  that 
he  and  his  followers  had  protected  the  vast  property 
of  a  rich  farmer  named  Nabal;  being  in  need  of 
food,  David  sent  his  young  men  to  this  plutocrat, 
requesting  assistance.  Nabal  was  a  hard-bitten  old 


136  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 

skinflint,  and  he  said,  Who  is  David?  Am  I  going 
to  hand  over  my  goods  to  a  runaway  servant? 
When  this  message  was  brought  back,  the  impulsive 
and  passionate  young  leader  flew  into  a  tempest  of 
rage  and  sallied  out  to  destroy  Nabal,  his  family 
and  his  entire  possessions.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
he  would  have  done  this  if  it  had  not  been  for 
Nabal’s  pretty  wife  Abigail.  She  secretly  took  an 
enormous  heap  of  costly  provisions,  and  went  to 
meet  the  avenger.  David  was  extremely  susceptible 
to  beauty,  and  when  this  “woman  of  good  under¬ 
standing  and  of  a  beautiful  countenance”  looked  him 
in  the  eyes  and  spoke  flatteringly  and  soothingly,  he 
melted  like  snow  in  the  sunshine.  She  was  as  fair 
in  speech  as  in  face;  she  said:  “The  soul  of  my  lord 
shall  be  bound  in  the  bundle  of  life  with  the  Lord 
thy  God.”  David  blessed  her  for  coming,  and  for 
saving  him  from  the  guilt  of  murder.  She  returned 
home. 

That  night  old  Nabal  gave  a  big  dinner  to  his 
cronies,  and  got  very  drunk.  He  was  feeling  bad 
the  next  morning,  but  so  much  worse  when  his  wife 
told  him  of  her  doings  that  he  had  a  stroke,  and  in 
ten  days  was  dead.  David  exclaimed  with  delight 
when  he  heard  of  this,  and  immediately  asked  Abi¬ 
gail  to  become  his  v/ife.  She  accepted  with  alacrity. 

There  were  two  fine  qualities  in  David  that  were 
never  understood  even  by  those  closest  to  him;  one 
was  his  reverential  loyalty  to  King  Saul,  the  other 
the  strength  of  his  family  affection.  Both  were 


KING  DAVID 


137 


greater  than  his  concern  for  his  personal  glory  or 
safety.  Nearly  all  men  have  been  glad  to  learn  of 
the  death  of  their  enemies,  especially  when  an  im¬ 
mediate  advantage  rises  from  it.  Julius  Caesar  and 
David — both  humane — are  the  notable  exceptions. 
David  was  at  Ziklag  one  day  when  a  messenger  came 
from  the  field  of  battle,  bearing  the  news  that  Saul 
was  dead  and  saying  that  he,  the  messenger,  had, 
at  the  king’s  request,  killed  him.  To  the  astonish¬ 
ment  of  the  visitor,  David  was  struck  with  horror. 
Wast  thou  not  afraid  to  stretch  forth  thine  hand 
to  destroy  the  Lord’s  anointed?  And  he  had  the 
man  killed  on  the  spot. 

Then  he  composed  an  elegiac  poem  for  Saul  and 
Jonathan,  which,  in  immortal  phrase,  sets  forth  the 
passion  of  loyalty  and  friendship : 

The  beauty  of  Israel  is  slain  upon  thy  high  places:  how  are 
the  mighty  fallen! 

Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Askelon; 
lest  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice,  lest  the  daughters 
of  the  uncircumcised  triumph . 

Saul  and  Jonathan  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
and  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided:  they  were  swifter 
than  eagles,  they  were  stronger  than  lions . 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen  in  the  midst  of  the  battle!  O 
Jonathan,  thou  wast  slain  in  thine  high  places. 

I  am  distressed  for  thee,  my  brother  Jonathan;  very  pleasant 
hast  thou  been  unto  me:  thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful,  passing 
the  love  of  women. 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen,  and  the  weapons  of  war 
perished ! 


138  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Saul’s  son,  Ishbosheth,  was  crowned  king  of 
Israel,  and  David  king  of  Judah.  Civil  war  began, 
and  nearly  all  the  forty  years  of  David’s  reign  were 
filled  with  fighting  against  foreign  and  domestic 
foes.  Two  famous  generals  were  Abner,  who  was 
a  true  and  high-minded  gentleman,  and  Joab,  a  pro¬ 
fessional  fighting-hack,  who  understood  neither  pity 
nor  remorse,  and  who  never  forgot  a  personal 
enemy.  Abner  was  of  the  party  of  Israel,  for  he 
had  been  Saul’s  captain-in-chief;  in  the  early  days 
of  the  civil  war,  the  three  sons  of  Zeruiah — Joab, 
Abishai,  and  young  Asahel — pursued  hard  after  the 
retreating  Abner.  Now  Asahel  was  the  fastest  run¬ 
ner  in  the  country;  he  gained  rapidly  on  Abner,  who 
besought  him  to  stop,  or  at  any  rate  to  take  armour 
from  one  of  the  young  men,  so  that  there  might  be 
a  fair  duel.  But  he  kept  on  in  hot  pursuit;  and 
Abner,  much  against  his  will,  was  forced  in  self- 
defence  to  slay  him,  pushing  his  long  spear  back¬ 
ward. 

After  this  battle,  Abner  pleaded  with  Joab  to  end 
the  strife;  and  Joab  pretended  that  all  was  well. 
Meanwhile  the  loyal  Abner  was  insulted  by  the 
idiotic  Ishbosheth,  so  grossly  insulted  that  he  went 
over  to  David.  Then  Joab  treacherously  invited 
Abner  to  a  quiet  conference,  and  slew  him  at  the 
gate.  King  David  wept  bitterly,  gave  Abner  a  royal 
funeral,  and  mourned  publicly  at  the  grave,  saying 
that  a  prince  and  a  great  man  had  fallen  in  Israel, 
adding,  “These  sons  of  Zeruiah  be  too  hard  for 


KING  DAVID 


139 


King  Ishbosheth  was  assassinated,  killed  in  his 
bed,  and  the  murderers  brought  his  head  to  the 
horrified  David,  who  reminded  them  of  what  he 
had  done  to  the  messenger  who  came  from  dead 
Saul,  “who  thought  that  I  would  have  given  him  a 
reward  for  his  tidings.” 

How  much  more,  when  wicked  persons  have  slain  a  righteous 
person  in  his  own  house  upon  his  bed? 

He  gave  orders;  tne  messengers  were  killed,  their 
bodies  mutilated,  and  hanged  over  the  pool  in 
Hebron. 

David  was  then  anointed  king  over  Israel;  he 
reigned  seven  years  over  Judah  and  thirty-three 
years  over  the  united  countries.  Jerusalem  became 
the  seat  of  the  monarchy  and  the  city  of  David. 

His  power  grew  apace;  he  formed  an  alliance 
with  Hiram  king  of  Tyre,  and  his  conquests  ex¬ 
tended  so  far  that  he  was  able  to  put  a  garrison  in 
Damascus,  the  Syrians  paying  tribute.  Garrisons 
were  also  placed  in  Edom,  and  the  army  became  a 
highly  efficient  force,  under  the  command  of  General 
Joab. 

It  is  pleasant  to  remember  King  David’s  kindness 
to  a  son  of  Jonathan,  who  was  a  cripple.  This  was 
Mephibosheth,  who  was  permanently  injured,  as  so 
many  babies  have  been,  by  the  carelessness  of  a 
nurse.  He  was  five  years  old,  when  the  news  of 
the  death  of  his  father  and  grandfather  came;  his 
nurse  picked  him  up,  started  to  run  and,  in  her  haste, 
dropped  him.  As  a  result,  he  was  incurably  lame  in 


140  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


both  feet.  Years  later,  David  enquired  if  there  was 
anyone  left  of  the  house  of  Saul,  to  whom  he  might 
show  a  kindness  for  Jonathan’s  sake;  a  man  named 
Ziba  appeared  and  told  the  king  of  Mephibosheth. 
The  lame  young  man  appeared  in  the  royal  presence 
with  fear  and  trembling,  and  did  obeisance;  but 
David  told  him  that  he  would  always  care  for  him 
for  his  father’s  sake;  he  should  receive  back  the 
property  that  he  would  have  inherited  from  Saul, 
and  he  should  be  a  perpetual  guest  at  the  king’s 
own  table.  Mephibosheth  was  overcome  with  em¬ 
barrassed  gratitude,  and  said:  “What  is  thy  servant, 
that  thou  shouldest  look  upon  such  a  dead  dog  as  I 
am?’’  But  David  commanded  Ziba  and  his  whole 
family  to  work  for  Mephibosheth  with  the  same 
zeal  and  reverence  as  if  he  were  King  Saul  himself; 
and  as  Ziba  had  fifteen  sons  and  twenty  servants, 
it  was  a  large  order.  Ziba  cheerfully  obeyed  the 
king’s  directions;  Mephibosheth  and  his  baby  son 
Micha  were  treated  with  the  homage  due  to  royalty. 
David  never  appeared  to  better  advantage;  he  not 
only  saved  Mephibosheth  and  his  family  from  want, 
but  he  restored  the  poor  cripple’s  self-respect.  From 
being  a  neglected  and  helpless  fugitive,  he  held  a 
high  place  in  the  palace  of  the  king,  and  it  is  certain 
that  no  one  dared  to  slight  him. 

It  turned  out  later  that  either  Mephibosheth  or 
Ziba  was  a  liar;  it  is  one  of  those  innumerable  cases 
that  depend  on  human  testimony,  the  least  depend¬ 
able  thing  in  the  whole  world;  the  testimony  is 


KING  DAVID 


141 


flatly  contradictory  and  both  puzzled  and  disgusted 
David,  so  that  he  finally  settled  the  matter  with  a 
contemptuous  gesture.  It  seems  incredible,  after 
David’s  kindness,  that  Mephibosheth  should  have 
behaved  with  rank  and  treacherous  ingratitude;  but 
it  would  not  be  the  first  or  the  last  time  in  history. 
When  David  was  in  sore  distress  during  the  rebel¬ 
lion  of  Absalom,  and  the  opportunists  were  in  doubt 
which  side  to  support,  Ziba  appeared  before  the  king 
with  an  immense  store  of  provisions,  and  in  response 
to  David’s  question  as  to  Mephibosheth,  Ziba  re¬ 
plied  that  the  lame  man  stayed  in  Jerusalem,  rejoic¬ 
ing  in  David’s  downfall,  and  believing  that  the  house 
of  Saul  would  regain  the  throne.  This  sounds  like 
a  huge  lie;  but  David  apparently  believed  it,  for  he 
told  Ziba  that  the  property  of  Mephibosheth  should 
thenceforth  belong  to  him.  After  Absalom’s  death, 
when  King  David  re-entered  Jerusalem,  who  should 
come  to  meet  him  but  Mephibosheth,  looking  like  a 
vagabond;  he  had  neither  dressed  his  feet,  nor 
trimmed  his  beard,  nor  washed  his  clothes  from  the 
day  David  had  fled.  This  looked  like  sincerity  of 
mourning;  and  the  king  enquired,  Why  did  you  not 
go  with  me,  Mephibosheth?  and  he  answered  that 
he  had  planned  to  ride  to  the  king,  but  that  Ziba 
had  slandered  him.  In  this  mental  morass,  the  king 
floundered  a  moment,  and  then  said  impatiently  that 
the  property  must  be  divided  between  Ziba  and 
Mephibosheth.  The  latter  answered  humbly  that 
he  was  willing  to  have  Ziba  take  all,  he  was  so  happy 


142  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


at  the  king’s  successful  return.  All  we  can  say  is, 
Somebody  lied. 

If  Mephibosheth  continued  to  eat  at  the  king’s 
table,  the  situation  must  have  been  somewhat  con¬ 
strained. 

It  is  sad  that  after  recording  the  fidelity  of  David 
to  the  memory  of  his  best  friend,  we  should  have 
also  to  write  down  one  of  the  blackest  crimes  of  his 
life.  But  although  David  is  one  of  the  heroes  of 
Israelitish  history,  the  honest  old  chronicler  set 
down  the  most  damaging  facts,  for  only  one  reason 
— because  they  were  the  truth.  David’s  adultery 
and  murder  have  made  a  tremendous  impression  on 
the  world,  just  as  Napoleon’s  murder  of  the  Due 
D’Enghien  has  shocked  people  more  than  the  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  murders  he  committed  to  satisfy  his 
selfish  ambition;  what  should  one  individual  be 
among  so  many?  But  most  readers  have  so  little 
imagination  that  the  fate  of  one  well-known  person 
of  high  social  position  stirs  them  more  than  thou¬ 
sands  of  nameless  sufferers;  just  as  we  are  more 
distressed  at  an  automobile  accident  that  happens 
before  our  eyes  than  we  are  by  reading  of  a  far¬ 
away  calamity  that  destroys  two  hundred  or  two 
thousand  people.  David  had  much  wholesale 
slaughter  on  his  soul  besides  this  particular  crime; 
but  here  we  know  the  names  of  the  characters,  and 
they  are  as  real  as  acquaintances. 

Toward  the  close  of  a  summer  day,  after  David 
had  been  enjoying  a  siesta,  he  rose  and  walked  on 


KING  DAVID 


143 


the  roof  of  the  royal  palace ;  and  in  the  dusk,  he  saw 
a  woman  bathing.  He  sent  a  messenger  to  inquire 
her  name,  and  upon  learning  that  she  was  married 
to  Uriah  the  Hittite,  he  took  her  himself.  It  has 
often  been  the  royal  prerogative  to  take  anything 
that  happens  at  the  moment  to  seem  attractive;  one 
reason  why  so  many  kings  have  no  true  appreciation 
of  beauty  is  because  admiration  with  them  is  always 
mingled  with  predatory  desire;  they  have  about  as 
much  artistic  discernment  of  beauty  as  a  thief  has 
of  the  beauty  of  the  plate  and  jewels  he  steals.  He 
sent  Bathsheba  home  again,  and  after  a  time  she 
sent  him  word  that  she  was  with  child.  Her  hus¬ 
band  Uriah  was  away  with  the  army,  fighting  for 
his  country,  which  does  not  add  to  the  attractiveness 
of  David’s  conduct.  The  king  sent  word  to  General 
Joab  that  he  wished  to  speak  with  Uriah.  Accord¬ 
ingly,  the  soldier,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  rugged, 
upstanding  man-at-arms,  came  into  the  presence  of 
the  king.  In  vain  did  David  attempt  to  persuade 
Uriah  to  go  to  his  house;  Uriah  said  that  his  com¬ 
rades  were  fighting  at  the  field,  and  he  would  be 
ashamed  to  sleep  in  comfort  while  they  were  in 
hardship  and  peril.  Doubtless  this  was  not  the  real 
reason;  he  must  have  suspected  the  truth  the  mo¬ 
ment  he  looked  into  the  king’s  face.  So  David  sent 
the  brave  fellow  back  to  the  camp,  with  instructions 
to  Joab  to  put  him  in  the  most  dangerous  position 
in  the  battle.  Joab  knew  what  was  expected  and 
why;  and  in  the  dispatch  he  sent  home  it  appeared 


144  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


that  among  the  casualties  was  Uriah  the  Hittite. 
The  greedy  monarch  then  married  Bathsheba;  but 
although  he  forgot  God,  God  did  not  forget  him. 

Nathan,  the  prophet  of  Jehovah,  appeared  before 
David  and  told  him  a  pathetic  story  of  the  cupidity 
and  cruelty  of  a  rich  man  in  dealing  with  a  poor 
and  defenceless  person;  the  king’s  anger  was  aroused 
— we  always  despise  our  own  wickedness  when  we 
see  it  in  others  or  on  the  stage— and  said  that  the 
rich  man  must  die.  Then  Nathan  pointed  his  finger 
at  the  king  and  said,  Thou  art  the  man.  He  prophe¬ 
sied  three  evils  that  would  come  upon  David,  because 
of  his  sin:  the  sword  should  never  depart  from  his 
house,  his  own  wives  should  be  publicly  dishonoured 
by  another  man,  and  his  child  by  Bathsheba  should 
die.  All  three  came  true. 

The  only  creditable  part  of  this  melancholy  story 
is  David’s  behaviour  to  Nathan.  Instead  of  strik¬ 
ing  him  down,  or  rebuking  him,  or  trying  to  explain 
his  own  conduct,  he  said  frankly,  “I  have  sinned.” 
He  confessed  and  he  repented.  In  spite  of  the  care 
of  the  royal  specialists,  the  child  died,  and  David 
said,  “I  shall  go  to  him,  but  he  shall  not  return 
to  me.” 

He  kept  his  wife  Bathsheba,  for  what  would  have 
been  her  position  if  he  had  sent  her  away?  She 
always  retained  her  influence  over  him,  and  later 
became  the  mother  of  King  Solomon. 

Little  pleasure  had  David  in  his  children:  little 
pleasure  in  anything.  As  in  the  life  of  Saul,  the 


KING  DAVID 


145 


careless  days  of  his  youth  were  the  only  happy  ones 
he  knew.  In  order  to  retain  his  throne,  and  to 
save  Israel  from  foreign  domination,  he  could  never 
sheathe  the  sword;  bloodshed  was  chronic. 

Prince  Absalom  inherited  the  manly  beauty  of 
the  house  of  Jesse:  “from  the  sole  of  his  foot  even 
to  the  crown  of  his  head  there  was  no  blemish  in 
him.”  Especially  noticeable  was  his  magnificent 
hair ;  it  was  so  thick  and  glossy  that  every  year  when 
he  had  it  cut  it  was  like  taking  a  harvest  off  a  field. 
But  he  had  no  more  moral  sense  than  Alcibiades; 
he  was  a  traitor  to  his  father  and  to  the  nation.  He 
stole  away  the  hearts  of  the  people  by  promises  as 
fair  as  his  face;  and  finally  he  felt  himself  strong 
enough  to  organise  open  rebellion.  The  uprising 
was  so  general  that  David  left  the  holy  city  in  shame 
and  disgrace,  like  a  hunted  man  with  a  price  on  his 
head.  But  in  a  decisive  battle,  in  which  the  king’s 
forces  were  led  by  the  two  sons  of  Zeruiah — Joab 
and  Abishai — Absalom’s  forces  were  routed.  Be¬ 
fore  the  battle,  David  gave  public  orders  that  no 
harm  must  come  to  the  person  of  Absalom;  as  so 
often  happens  in  tragic  quarrels  between  fathers  and 
sons,  the  father  loves  his  child  with  a  passionate 
intensity  greater  than  in  harmonious  days.  Anyone 
who  has  observed  life  must  have  seen  this,  which, 
if  we  did  not  know  something  of  the  strange  work¬ 
ings  of  the  human  heart,  would  be  indeed  a  mystery. 

Joab  was  a  plain  fighting  man;  he  saw  in  Absalom 
the  most  dangerous  foe  of  the  state,  and  when  the 


146  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


retreating  prince  was  caught  by  the  head  in  the 
boughs  of  a  great  oak,  Joab  slew  him  with  no  more 
compunction  than  one  would  kill  a  rattlesnake. 

The  king  sat  between  the  two  gates,  awaiting 
news  from  the  front;  he  was  far  more  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  Absalom  than  in  his  own  kingdom. 
The  watchman,  standing  aloft,  saw  a  man  running 
alone,  followed  soon  by  another.  Ahimaaz  arrived 
first,  and  shouted  joyously  the  news  of  the  great 
victory;  but  the  king  enquired,  Is  the  young  man 
Absalom  safe?  Ahimaaz  did  not  dare  tell  him, 
but  muttered  something  about  a  great  tumult,  the 
significance  of  which  he  had  not  waited  to  know. 
Then  Cushi  arrived  in  the  same  spirit  of  exultation; 
and  the  king  asked,  Is  the  young  man  Absalom  safe? 
Cushi,  with  diplomatic  tact,  replied,  May  the  ene¬ 
mies  of  the  king  all  be  as  that  young  man  now  is. 
The  overwhelming  grief  in  David’s  heart  left  no 
room  for  any  other  emotion;  his  personal  gain  was 
forgotten  in  the  loss  of  his  selfish  and  cruel  son. 
No  cry  of  anguish  that  has  come  down  from  all  the 
immeasurable  woe  of  the  past  is  more  poignant  than 
David’s  lamentation : 

O  my  son  Absalom,  my  son  Absalom!  would  God  I  had  died 
for  thee,  O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son! 

The  years  of  imperial  pride  and  glory,  which  have 
made  monsters  out  of  so  many  men,  had  never 
hardened  the  nature  of  David;  the  tenderness  of 
his  heart  was  ever  greater  than  his  ambition. 


KING  DAVID 


147 


General  Joab  was  disgusted  with  David's  be¬ 
haviour,  and  told  him  exactly  what  he  thought  of  it. 
David  had  never  liked  Joab  or  his  family,  and  he 
did  not  forget  this  speech,  which  was  like  a  knife 
in  a  green  wound.  He  appointed  Amasa  in  Joab's 
place;  but  he  did  not  live  to  take  it.  Joab  came  up 
to  Amasa  affectionately,  and  said,  “Art  thou  in 
health,  my  brother  ?”  took  him  by  the  beard  to  kiss 
him,  and  with  the  other  hand  ran  him  through. 
Amasa  wallowed  in  blood  in  the  midst  of  the  high¬ 
way;  a  crowd  gathered  about  his  dead  body,  for 
this  cold-hearted  and  treacherous  murder  shocked 
the  whole  nation. 

Joab  retained  his  position  as  Captain  of  the  host, 
and  David  seems  to  have  been  afraid  of  him;  but 
after  a  long  career  of  fighting  loyally  for  the  king, 
his  good  sense  deserted  the  old  soldier  at  last,  and 
he  made  the  fatal  mistake  of  supporting  Prince 
Adonijah,  who,  in  David’s  old  age,  rebelled  against 
his  father,  and  announced  himself  king.  David  w^as 
too  feeble  to  exert  himself;  but  Bathsheba  came  in, 
and  reminded  him  of  his  promise  that  Solomon 
should  be  his  heir.  He  therefore  made  a  public 
proclamation  to  that  effect,  which  caused  such  gen¬ 
eral  rejoicing  that  the  followers  of  Adonijah  dis¬ 
appeared  like  a  mist,  and  left  him  in  ridiculous 
isolation. 

On  his  deathbed,  David  sent  for  Solomon  and 
said,  as  Joshua  had  said  before  him: 


148  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


I  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth:  be  thou  strong  therefore,  and 
shew  thyself  a  man: 

And  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  His 
ways . as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses. 

He  left  two  death  warrants  for  Solomon  to  execute ; 
one  for  Joab,  and  one  for  Shimei,  a  blackguard  who 
had  cursed  him  during  the  temporary  success  of 
Absalom.  But  those  who  then  stood  by  him  were 
to  be  remembered  in  kindness  by  his  son. 

No  figure  in  history  is  more  real  than  David;  he 
stands  before  us,  with  his  grandeur  and  his  little¬ 
ness,  his  virtues  and  his  crimes.  No  warrior  was 
ever  more  beloved  by  the  mighty  men  who  fought 
for  him,  and  the  episode  where  he  refused  to  drink 
of  the  water  that  his  captains  had  brought  to  him 
at  the  risk  of  their  lives — for  they  had  to  fight  their 
way  to  the  well,  and  then  fight  their  way  back, 
spilling  blood  without  spilling  water — is  perhaps  the 
most  charming  in  his  career;  for  it  shows  not  only 
the  greatness,  but  the  fineness  of  his  nature. 

No  modern  historian,  whatever  his  personal  bias, 
can  injure  David  or  blacken  his  memory,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  we  already  know  the  worst  that 
can  be  said  against  him;  the  Bible  does  not  spare 
him.  But  in  the  opinion  of  most  unprejudiced  read¬ 
ers,  David  is  not  only  an  imposing  but  an  attractive 
personality;  we  admire  the  great  king  and  we  love 
the  true-hearted  man. 


VII 

SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY— THE 
ROMANTIC  FIGURE  OF  ELIJAH 


The  Last  Days  of  David — Prosperity  of  Israel  Under  Solo¬ 
mon — Executions  of  Adonijah ,  Joab  and  Shimei — Solomon's 
Dream — His  First  Court  Judgment — Building  of  the  Temple — 
Other  Construction  Work — ,The  Visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba — 
Her  Amazement  at  the  Luxury  of  Solomon  s  Court  and  State 
Dinners — Dedication  of  the  Temple — Solomons  Fall  From 
Grace  Through  JV omen — The  Radical  Leader  Jeroboam — Solo¬ 
mon's  Death — Rehob o am1 s  Method  in  Suppressing  Discontent — 
The  Revolution — The  Division  into  Two  Kingdoms — Bloody 
Days  in  Israel — King  Ahab  and  His  Terrible  Queen — Literary 
Splendour  of  the  Narrative — Appearance  of  the  Prophet  Elijah — 
The  Long  Drought — The  Contest  with  the  Prophets  of  Baal — 
The  Rain — Jezebel's  Threat  and  Elijah's  Flight — His  Despair 
and  his  Visions — Naboth  and  His  Vineyard— The  Espionage 
Act — Ahab  Confronted  with  Elijah — His  Fate  Foretold — His 
Repentance — Johoshaphat ,  King  of  Judah — His  Alliance  with 
Ahab — The  Plan  for  War  on  Syria — Gathering  of  the  Sooth¬ 
sayers — The  Holy  Prophet  Micaiah — Defeat  and  Death  of 
Ahab — The  Last  Hours  of  Elijah — His  Prophecy  to  King 
Ahaziah — The  Two  Captains  and  Their  Disastrous  Mission — 
Elijah  and  Elisha — The  Last  Walk  Together — The  Chariot  of 
Fire — The  Falling  Mantle — Character  of  Elijah. 


VII 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY— THE 
ROMANTIC  FIGURE  OF  ELIJAH 

The  last  days  of  David  are  depressing  to  contem¬ 
plate;  the  old  lion  was  sick  and  helpless  and  at  the 
mercy  of  women.  Rebellions  and  fighting  brought 
the  smell  of  blood  even  into  the  death-chamber, 
and  the  chilly  invalid  shuddered  with  something 
more  than  the  cold.  In  sleepless  meditation,  he 
must  often  have  remembered  the  days  of  his 
brilliant  youth,  his  triumph  over  Goliath,  the  long 
talks  and  walks  with  Jonathan,  and  the  hour  when 
he  was  anointed  king.  If  he  could  only  have  looked 
into  the  future,  he  would  have  been  comforted;  for 
then  he  would  have  known  that  greater  than  all  his 
mighty  deeds  of  war,  more  splendid  than  all  his 
royal  splendour,  were  his  magnificent  poems.  David 
the  fighter  and  David  the  statesman  have  a  sincere 
place  in  history;  far  above  them  is  David  the  Poet. 

Then  sat  Solomon  upon  the  throne  of  David  his  father; 
and  his  kingdom  was  established  greatly. 

Israel  reached  its  highest  point  under  the  leader¬ 
ship  of  the  Wise  King;  he  inherited  his  father’s 

151 


152  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


common  sense  and  literary  genius.  But  he  was 
forced  to  begin  his  reign  by  killing  his  brother. 
Among  David’s  sons,  Solomon  had  a  monopoly  of 
wisdom;  Adonijah  appears  to  have  been  a  prepos¬ 
terous  fool.  No  sooner  had  he  been  forgiven  for  at¬ 
tempting  a  coup  d’etat y  than  he  came  to  Bathsheba 
and  asked  that  she  would  beg  Solomon  to  give  him 
Abishag  the  Shunammite — who  had  been  the  old 
king’s  nurse — in  marriage.  Solomon  kept  the  fifth 
commandment;  when  his  mother  entered  the  royal 
apartment,  the  young  king  rose,  bowed  down  to  her, 
and  had  a  seat  brought  for  her  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  throne;  thus  letting  the  courtiers  have  an  ex¬ 
ample  in  etiquette.  She  kept  her  word  to  Adonijah, 
and  in  all  seriousness  put  the  fatal  petition.  Per¬ 
haps  she  knew  exactly  what  would  happen. 

Solomon  did  not  often  lose  his  temper;  but  this 
time  he  flew  into  a  wild  rage,  and  said  fiercely,  Why 
not  give  Adonijah  the  kingdom  also?  and  he  ordered 
the  instant  death  of  the  presumptous  prince.  The 
mighty  man  Benaiah  was  Executioner;  and  he  dis¬ 
patched  Adonijah  with  his  own  hand.  Then  it  was 
the  turn  of  old  General  Joab,  who  for  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  was  afraid,  and  fled  to  the  altar  for 
sanctuary — -like  many  men,  having  recourse  to  the 
church  only  when  in  extreme  peril;  it  did  him  no 
good,  for  Benaiah  slew  him  in  the  holy  place. 
Shimei,  who  had  cursed  David,  was  informed  that 
he  could  remain  in  safety  so  long  as  he  stayed  at 
home;  but  after  awhile,  his  servants  ran  away,  and 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  153 


he  pursued  them.  He  was  therefore  executed  by  the 
efficient  Benaiah.  With  these  three  enemies  out  of 
his  path,  Solomon’s  throne  was  firmly  established. 

One  night  Solomon  dreamed  that  the  Lord  God 
appeared  to  him,  and  asked  him  to  name  the  thing 
he  most  desired,  and  Solomon  said, 

Thou  hast  made  thy  servant  king  instead  of  David  my  father: 
and  I  am  but  a  little  child:  I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or 
come  in.  .  .  . 

Give  therefore  thy  servant  an  understanding  heart  to  judge 
thy  people,  that  I  may  discern  between  good  and  bad:  for  who 
is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great  people? 

We  cannot  help  remembering  the  decision  of  Paris, 
and  its  consequences.  He  passed  by  wisdom  to  get 
the  fairest  woman  for  his  wife,  who  brought  general 
woe  in  her  train;  whereas  Solomon  chose  wisdom, 
and  was  rewarded  with  seven  hundred  wives  and 
three  hundred  concubines — who  also  brought  dis¬ 
aster. 

In  his  dream  Solomon  heard  the  Voice  saying  that 
because  he  had  asked  for  wisdom  rather  than  long 
life,  riches,  revenge  or  pleasure,  he  should  become 
not  only  the  wisest  among  the  sons  of  men,  but  that 
his  kingdom  should  be  of  unparalled  splendour,  so 
long  as  he  kept  the  true  faith. 

Shortly  after  waking,  Solomon  had  occasion  to  try 
his  judicial  powers.  Two  women  came  before  him, 
with  one  baby,  of  whom  each  claimed  to  be  the 
mother.  After  listening  carefully  to  what  both  had 
to  say,  the  king  ordered  a  sword  to  be  brought,  and 


154  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


gravely  proposed  to  divide  the  child  into  two  equal 
portions,  so  that  each  woman  might  have  her  fair 
share.  To  one  this  seemed  agreeable;  but  the  other 
cried  out :  “Give  her  the  child !”  And  Solomon  said 
that  it  was  clear  who  was  the  real  mother;  and  she 
departed  in  peace,  with  her  baby  in  her  arms. 

Solomon  made  alliances  with  Pharaoh,  king  of 
Egypt,  and  with  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  his  father’s 
friend  and  admirer.  These  were  the  days  of  peace 
and  prosperity,  two  things  usually  associated  in  fact. 

Judah  and  Israel  were  many,  as  the  sand  which  is  by  the  sea 
in  multitude,  eating  and  drinking,  and  making  merry . 

And  Judah  and  Israel  dwelt  safely,  every  man  under  his 
vine  and  under  his  fig  tree,  from  Dan  even  to  Beersheba,  all 
the  days  of  Solomon. 

King  David  had  planned  to  build  a  house  for  God; 
but  he  was  forbidden  to  do  so,  because  he  had  been 
a  man  of  blood. 

Thou  hast  shed  blood  abundantly,  and  hast  made  great  wars: 
thou  shalt  not  build  an  house  unto  my  name,  because  thou  hast 
shed  much  blood  upon  the  earth  in  my  sight. 

Behold,  a  son  shall  be  born  to  thee,  who  shall  be  a  man  of 
rest.  .  .  . 

He  shall  build  an  house  for  my  name. 

David  reluctantly  but  obediently  relinquished  his 
purpose;  but  he  felt  that  he  ought  to  make  some 
necessary  preparations  for  the  structure. 

Solomon  my  son  is  young  and  tender,  and  the  house  that  is  to 
be  builded  for  the  Lord  must  be  exceeding  magnifical,  of  fame 
and  of  glory  throughout  all  countries ;  I  will  therefore  now  make 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  155 

preparation  for  it.  So  David  prepared  abundantly  before  his 
death. 

Then  he  sent  for  the  crown  prince,  and  gave  him 
this  solemn  and  affectionate  admonition: 

And  thou,  Solomon,  my  son,  know  thou  the  God  of  thy 
father,  and  serve  him  with  a  perfect  heart  and  with  a  willing 
mind;  for  the  Lord  searcheth  all  hearts,  and  understandeth  all 
the  imaginations  of  the  thoughts:  if  thou  seek  him,  he  will  be 
found  of  thee:  but  if  thou  forsake  him,  he  will  cast  thee  off 
forever. 

Take  heed  now;  for  the  Lord  hath  chosen  thee  to  build  an 
house  for  the  sanctuary:  be  strong,  and  do  it. 

David  left  Solomon  the  architect’s  plans  for  the 
building,  so  the  young  king  could  begin  work  without 
delay  upon  the  temple  designed  for  the  worship  of 
the  Lord.  With  the  assistance  of  King  Hiram, 
who  sent  lumber  floating  down  in  rafts  along  the 
coast,  and  furnished  skilled  carpenters,  the  edifice 
was  completed  in  seven  years.  It  was  ninety  feet 
long,  thirty  feet  wide,  and  forty-five  feet  high. 
Solomon  was  an  enthusiast  in  construction  work;  it 
took  thirteen  years  to  build  his  palace,  and  in  addi¬ 
tion  he  built  a  stately  Court  House,  panelled  in 
cedar,  and  a  fine  palace  for  his  Egyptian  wife. 
Down  on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  he  constructed 
a  Royal  Navy,  with  expert  ship-builders  furnished 
by  King  Hiram. 

When  the  holy  temple  was  complete,  it  was  dedi¬ 
cated  with  solemn  and  appropriate  exercises,  Solo¬ 
mon  making  a  prayer  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 


156  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


congregation;  it  was  a  long  and  earnest  petition  for 
God’s  mercy  toward  his  people.  It  is  interesting  to 
see  that  the  same  spiritual  conception  of  God  which 
had  been  the  characteristic  idea  of  the  Hebrew  re¬ 
ligion  since  the  days  of  Abraham,  was  clearly  set 
forth  in  this  prayer,  so  that  the  people  might  not 
be  led  into  any  notion  of  idol  worship : 

But  will  God  indeed  dwell  on  the  earth?  Behold,  the 
heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  thee:  how  much  less  this 
house  that  I  have  builded? 

The  Queen  of  Sheba,  a  country  far  to  the  South, 
had  heard  of  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  came  with 
a  list  of  difficult  questions,  to  discover  if  the  reports 
of  his  sagacity  were  accurate.  I  wish  I  knew  what 
was  on  this  examination  paper ;  all  we  know  is  that 
Solomon  passed  it  with  errorless  ease. 

The  Queen  came  like  a  queen,  with  a  long  train 
of  courtiers  and  attendants,  with  many  camels  bear¬ 
ing  spices  and  gold  and  precious  stones,  presumably 
to  make  an  indelible  impression  on  the  learned  king; 
but  when  she  saw  the  way  things  were  done  in  Jeru¬ 
salem,  she  felt  like  a  country  girl;  “there  was  no 
more  spirit  in  her.”  She  confessed  that  she  had  not 
believed  what  she  had  heard  of  Solomon  and  his 
regal  splendour,  and  therefore  came  to  see  for  her¬ 
self;  but  the  half  had  not  been  told.  Evidently  the 
state  dinner  that  Solomon  arranged  in  her  honour 
exceeded  in  luxury  anything  she  had  ever  seen  or 
heard  of.  Women  naturally  love  such  things;  she 
went  into  a  rhapsody  of  praise.  She  gave  to  the 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  157 


king  whole  fortunes  in  gold  and  precious  stones;  and 
in  return  Solomon  gave  her  everything  she  asked  for, 
“beside  that  which  Solomon  gave  her  of  his  royal 
bounty.”  I  particularly  like  that  last  phrase. 

The  contemptuous  reference  to  silver  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  verses  is  perhaps  meant  as  a  climax  in  the 
description  of  the  grandiose  court. 

And  all  king  Solomon’s  drinking  vessels  were  of  gold,  and 
all  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  were  of 
pure  gold;  none  were  of  silver:  it  was  nothing  accounted  of  in 
the  days  of  Solomon. 

For  the  king  had  at  sea  a  navy  of  Tharshish  with  the  navy  of 
Hiram:  once  in  three  years  came  the  navy  of  Tharshish,  bring¬ 
ing  gold,  and  silver,  ivory,  and  apes,  and  peacocks.  .  .  . 

And  the  king  made  silver  to  be  in  Jerusalem  as  stones,  and 
cedars  made  he  to  be  as  the  sycomore  trees  that  are  in  the  vale, 
for  abundance. 

All  this  was  too  good  to  last.  Things  began  to 
go  wrong.  Cherchez  la  femme.  Solomon’s  curi¬ 
osity  in  women  led  him  into  many  marriages  with 
the  strange  daughters  of  Paganism,  and  as  he  grew 
old  and  more  easily  flattered,  these  women  turned 
away  his  heart  from  the  God  of  Israel.  The  other 
Hebrew  kings  nearly  all  remind  us  of  David  by 
contrast;  although  he  was  not  impeccable  in  conduct, 
that  same  splendid  loyalty  which  made  him  true  to 
Saul  and  to  Jonathan,  showed  itself  most  notably 
in  his  fidelity  to  Jehovah.  He  never  once  faltered 
in  his  religion. 

This  cannot  be  said  of  Solomon.  The  wisest  man 
in  history  was  changed  into  a  fool  by  women,  just 


158  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


as  the  strongest  man  had  been.  He  not  only  was 
an  apostate,  he  worshipped  the  gods  that  of  all  false 
gods  were  particularly  abominable. 

At  this  moment  appears  the  sinister  figure  of 
Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nabat.  He  was  a  mighty 
man  of  valour,  clever  and  ambitious,  trusted  by 
Solomon.  One  day  while  walking  in  the  fields  out¬ 
side  Jerusalem,  he  encountered  the  prophet  Ahijah; 
the  holy  man  took  a  new  garment,  tore  it  into  twelve 
pieces,  and  gave  ten  to  Jeroboam,  signifying  that 
Israel  was  to  be  separated,  and  that  Jeroboam 
should  reign  over  ten  tribes.  He  also  gave  the 
young  gentleman  much  good  advice.  Jeroboam  took 
the  cloths,  and  rejected  the  counsel.  Solomon  heard 
of  the  favour  shown  to  his  officer,  and  he  sought  to 
kill  him.  But  Jeroboam  fled  into  Egypt,  and  re¬ 
mained  in  exile  until  the  death  of  the  king. 

After  forty  years  of  undisturbed  rule,  Solomon 
died,  and  his  son  Rehoboam  succeeded.  As  soon 
as  the  news  reached  Jeroboam,  he  came  to  the  young 
king  with  a  huge  company,  at  Shechem,  and  de¬ 
manded  certain  concessions,  apparently  submitting 
a  bill  of  rights  on  behalf  of  the  people.  Rehoboam 
invited  them  to  return  in  three  days,  and  they  would 
receive  an  answer.  Then  he  asked  the  old  states¬ 
men  who  had  sat  in  committee  with  Solomon,  what 
he  had  better  do.  They  wisely  suggested  a  concilia¬ 
tory  attitude,  for  they  knew  sedition  was  in  the  air; 
but  a  group  of  young  sycophants  took  the  opposite 
view.  They  advised  him  to  put  on  the  manner  of 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  159 


imperial  arrogance,  and  to  say  “My  little  finger  shall 
be  thicker  than  my  father’s  loins;  my  father  hath 
chastised  you  with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you 
with  scorpions.” 

As  a  rule,  young  men  are  more  severe  and  more 
intolerant  than  the  old,  that  is,  in  dealing  with 
others;  it  takes  years  of  experience  to  bring  toler¬ 
ance  and  charity. 

Rehoboam,  like  the  fool  he  was,  followed  the 
advice  of  fools,  and  answered  the  people  roughly. 
The  result  was  a  revolution  which  split  the  nation. 
Jeroboam  became  king  of  Israel,  reigning  over  ten 
tribes;  Rehoboam  king  of  Judah,  with  the  tiny  tribe 
of  Benjamin  in  addition. 

The  glory  departed  from  the  Hebrew  people; 
from  now  on  we  have  a  succession  of  wars,  and 
rebellions;  the  nation  lost  its  soul  in  apostasy,  as 
many  nations  have;  false  gods  became  the  object 
of  fashionable  worship,  and  there  began  an  era 
of  wickedness  and  degeneration;  for  as  is  usually 
the  case*  decay  in  morals  followed  hard  upon  decay 
in  religion.  In  human  nature,  the  two  are  insep¬ 
arably  joined. 

Was  there  ever  a  national  history  written  with 
less  patriotic  bias?  Instead  of  exalting  the  pride 
and  splendour  of  the  people,  the  historians  demon¬ 
strate  their  folly  and  wickedness  and  shame.  Per¬ 
haps  the  Hebrew  chronicles  are  the  only  ones  who 
have  ever  consistently  put  God  and  Truth  above 
patriotism. 


160  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


In  spite  of  his  remarkable  ability  and  industry, 
Jeroboam’s  name  will  always  be  held  in  infamy,  not 
because  he  directed  the  revolution  against  the  son 
of  Solomon,  but  because  it  was  he  who  led  the  whole 
nation  of  Israel  into  the  worship  of  false  gods. 
The  historians  allude  to  him  again  and  again  as  the 
head  and  front  of  this  offending. 

Two  years  before  the  death  of  Jeroboam,  Asa 
became  king  of  Judah;  he  was  a  righteous  man,  and 
was  so  devoted  to  the  worship  of  Jehovah  that  he 
expelled  his  own  mother  from  the  throne,  because 
she  persisted  in  idolatry.  Meanwhile  Israel  fell  into 
confusion  and  violence ;  their  kings  were  consistently 
bad.  Elah  had  his  throne  in  Tirzah,  and  spent  most 
of  his  time  getting  drunk;  while  in  this  condition 
he  was  assassinated  by  Captain  Zimri,  who  reigned 
seven  days.  The  people  did  not  like  this  man,  and 
made  Captain  Omri  king,  who  laid  siege  to  the  city 
of  Tirzah.  When  Zimri  saw  there  was  no  chance 
of  escape,  he  made  a  funeral  pyre  of  his  own  house, 
setting  it  on  fire  from  within,  and  so  perished. 
Omri  had  to  fight  for  his  throne  with  another  pre¬ 
tender,  whom  he  conquered  in  battle  and  slew,  and 
so  established  his  claim.  He  made  Samaria  the  seat 
of  the  kingdom,  did  evil  like  his  predecessors,  and 
is  chiefly  remembered  today  for  having  been  the 
father  of  Ahab. 

Ahab  was  a  scoundrel,  who  cynically  married 
Jezebel,  daughter  of  the  king  of  Sidon,  and  openly 
followed  her  religion  in  worshipping  the  Phoenician 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  161 


god  Baal.  It  is  in  the  reign  of  this  degenerate,  when 
all  Israel  seemed  given  over  to  idolatry  and  sensu¬ 
ality,  that  a  fiery  evangelist  appeared,  Elijah  the 
Tishbite. 

General  wickedness  often  arouses  some  great 
protestant.  Virtue  and  holiness  are  never  extinct, 
and  the  extreme  of  fashion  brings  its  opposite.  The 
zeal  for  God  in  the  heart  of  Elijah  was  by  the  pre¬ 
vailing  scepticism  and  immorality  fanned  into  flame. 

From  now  on  the  narrative  is  magnificent.  We 
have  the  dramatic  contrast  between  the  evil  of  so¬ 
ciety  and  the  stern  voice  of  the  prophet  of  the  Lord. 
The  story  takes  us  through  thrilling  adventures,  pro¬ 
ceeding  from  climax  to  climax. 

We  know  nothing  whatever  of  the  parents  or 
ancestors  of  Elijah.  He  came  from  Tishbe  in 
Gilead,  and  was  strange  and  uncouth  in  appearance. 
He  was  a  hairy  man,  clad  in  a  rough  mantle.  No 
character  in  history  is  more  romantic;  there  is  about 
him  an  air  of  wild  and  solitary  grandeur.  There  is 
immense  dignity  in  his  loneliness  as  he  stands  in  the 
midst  of  the  frivolous  court,  and  harshly  declares 
God’s  message  to  the  selfish  king.  The  very  name 
Elijah  means  My  God  is  Jehovah. 

To  Ahab  he  predicted  a  drought  that  might  last 
for  years;  no  rain,  no  dew  shall  fall  until  I  give 
the  word.  Then  he  went  into  retirement  by  the 
brook  Cherith  near  Jordan;  he  drank  of  the  brook, 
and  his  food  was  brought  to  him  by  ravens,  who 
were  no  wilder  than  he.  But  when  the  brook  dried, 


162  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


he  went  to  a  certain  city,  and  there  at  the  gate  was 
a  woman  in  widow’s  weeds  gathering  sticks.  He 
asked  her  for  food  and  water;  but  she  was  at  the 
last  extremity,  and  said  she  had  left  only  a  handful 
of  meal  and  a  little  oil  in  a  cruse;  she  was  gathering 
sticks  for  a  fire,  that  she  and  her  son  might  eat  their 
final  repast,  and  then  die.  She  spoke  in  a  tone  of 
dull  despair;  but  Elijah  told  her  to  prepare  the 
food  for  him  first,  and  there  would  be  left  sufficient 
for  her  son.  Something  in  the  aspect  of  the 
stranger  signified  authority;  her  faith  in  his  words 
was  so  powerful  that  she  gave  him  the  meal  she 
had  reserved  for  her  son,  and  then,  to  her  amaze¬ 
ment,  the  provisions  were  miraculously  renewed, 
and  they  fared  well  every  day. 

After  a  time  her  son  fell  into  a  desperate  sick¬ 
ness,  and  soon  gave  no  sign  of  life.  She  spoke 
bitterly  to  Elijah,  asking  him  if  he  had  come  to 
take  her  boy  away  from  her.  But  Elijah  took  the 
lad  into  the  loft  where  he  slept,  placed  his  body 
against  him,  and  the  child  revived.  It  was  a  happy 
woman  who  saw  the  prophet  coming  down  the  lad¬ 
der,  carrying  a  lively  youngster  in  his  arms.  And 
the  widow  knew  that  Elijah  was  a  man  of  God. 

There  was  a  drought  for  three  years;  King  Ahab 
sent  everywhere  to  find  Elijah,  that  he  might  have 
his  revenge ;  but  the  search  was  unsuccessful.  Then 
one  day  the  prophet  appeared  in  the  royal  presence, 
and  Ahab  asked  angrily,  “Art  thou  he  that  troubleth 
Israel?”  And  he  answered  boldly,  that  it  was  not 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  163 


he,  but  the  king,  that  was  responsible  for  the  gen¬ 
eral  suffering.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Elijah  was  no 
more  responsible  for  the  drought  than  the  ther¬ 
mometer  is  for  the  temperature.  Every  king  had 
his  prophet,  as  every  man  has  his  conscience;  and 
the  prophets  of  God  were  witnesses  to  the  Moral 
Order  in  an  age  of  corruption;  just  as  Truth  remains 
true  in  an  age  of  falsehood. 

Elijah  then  confidently  proposed  a  competitive 
method  to  discover  whether  Baal  or  Jehovah  was 
the  real  God.  He  suggested  a  public  trial  by  fire, 
and  human  nature  reveals  itself  in  the  cry  of  the 
people,  “It  is  well  spoken.”  The  contemptible  mob, 
never  having  any  convictions  of  their  own,  and  car¬ 
ing  little  for  any  religion  so  long  as  they  had  health 
and  money,  rejoiced  in  a  debate  of  this  nature, 
which,  like  almost  all  religious  controversies,  ap¬ 
peals  only  to  the  sporting  instincts.  I  have  seen  oral 
duels  on  religion  in  Hyde  Park,  the  crowd  looking 
on  exactly  as  they  would  at  a  prize-fight;  being  more 
interested  in  the  hits  of  the  antagonists  than  in  the 
question  discussed.  It  is  from  this  point  of  view 
that  many  read  debates  between  public  men;  one 
reason  why  controversies  are  generally  profitless. 

The  priests  of  Baal  prayed  about  their  altar  all 
day,  mocked  at  intervals  by  Elijah,  who  cried 
Louder!  Perhaps  he  is  asleep f  or  away  on  a  journey. 
Finally  when  the  patience  both  of  the  priests  and 
of  the  spectators  was  wearing  thin,  Elijah  invited 
the  people  to  inspect  his  altar.  It  is  interesting  to 


164  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


note  that  he  had  many  barrels  of  water  poured  on  it, 
ostensibly  to  make  the  miracle  more  impressive. 
Down  came  the  fire  and  devoured  it  all;  the  discom¬ 
fited  priests  were  slain  by  Elijah,  as  they  now  had 
no  friends.  And  then,  immediately  after  the  revela¬ 
tion  by  fire  came  the  revelation  by  rain.  “The 
heaven  was  black  with  clouds  and  wind,  and  there 
was  a  great  rain.”  The  long  drought  broke  in  a 
tempest;  Ahab  drove  furiously  in  his  chariot,  and 
Elijah,  in  a  tension  of  nervous  strength  after  the 
excitement  of  the  day,  tightened  his  belt,  and  ran 
across  country  before  the  royal  chariot  all  the  way 
to  the  gates  of  Jezreel. 

The  water  that  the  prophet  ordered  poured  on 
the  altar  has  given  rise  to  an  interesting  theory, 
running  far  back  in  history,  but  unsuspected  by  Mark 
Twain,  who  made  of  it  a  humorous  narrative.  He 
describes,  in  the  mouth  of  a  profane  old  sea-captain, 
the  true  explanation  of  the  miracle.  “Twelve  bar¬ 
rels  of  water f  Petroleum ,  sir.  Petroleum! 
That’s  what  it  was !  .  .  .  the  country  was  full  of 
it.”  The  Talmud  hints  at  this;  and  Sir  Thomas 
Browne,  in  his  Religio  Medici  (1642)  gravely 
remarks, 

For  our  endeavours  are  not  only  to  combat  with  doubts,  but 
always  to  dispute  with  the  Devil:  the  villany  of  that  Spirit 
takes  a  hint  of  Infidelity  from  our  Studies,  and  by  demonstrat¬ 
ing  a  naturality  in  one  way,  makes  us  mistrust  a  miracle  in 
another.  .  .  .  Again,  having  seen  some  experiments  of  Bitumen , 
and  having  read  far  more  of  Naptha,  he  whispered  to  my 
curiosity  the  fire  of  the  Altar  might  be  natural;  and  bid  me 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  165 


mistrust  a  miracle  in  Elias ,  when  he  entrenched  the  Altar  round 
with  Water;  for  that  inflammable  substance  yields  not  easily 
unto  Water,  but  flames  in  the  Arms  of  its  Antagonist. 

Queen  Jezebel  was  not  present  at  the  trial  by  lire ; 
if  she  had  been,  we  may  be  sure  that  she  would  never 
have  allowed  Elijah  to  slay  her  priests.  When 
Ahab  told  her  of  the  catastrophe,  she  was  furious, 
and  determined  to  kill  her  antagonist.  But  she 
made  the  mistake  of  sending  a  threatening  message 
to  the  prophet,  which  gave  him  time  to  escape.  He 
went  into  the  wilderness  and  sat  under  a  juniper  tree, 
and  for  once  his  courage  failed  him,  his  spirit  was 
broken;  perhaps  it  was  the  reaction  after  his  day 
of  triumph.  He  asked  for  death,  and  for  an  answer 
received  food — the  best  possible  answer  to  such  a 
request.  The  meals  gave  him  sufficient  strength  for 
a  forty  days’  fast  in  the  wilderness;  he  reached 
Eloreb,  the  Holy  Mountain.  There  he  went  into  a 
cave,  but  the  Voice  followed  him,  and  he  character¬ 
istically  replied,  “I  have  been  very  jealous  for  the 
Lord  God  of  hosts:  for  the  children  of  Israel  have 
forsaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  down  thine  altars, 
and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword;  and  I,  even 
I  only,  am  left;  and  they  seek  my  life,  to  take  it 
away.” 

He  was  invited  to  come  out,  and  stand  upon  the 
mount.  A  mighty  wind  passed,  then  an  earthquake, 
then  a  fire ;  but  the  Lord  was  not  revealed  this  time, 
not  even  in  the  fire. 

After  these  ragings  of  the  elements,  there  came 


166  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


a  still,  small  voice — a  divine  whisper.  Elijah 
wrapped  up  his  face,  and  stood  at  attention.  He 
was  told  to  anoint  certain  kings,  and  also  to  anoint 
Elisha  as  prophet  in  his  own  place.  The  choosing 
of  Elisha  may  have  been  a  rebuke  to  Elijah  for  los¬ 
ing  hope,  yet  it  strengthened  his  heart  with  the 
thought  that  God’s  messengers  would  steadily  con¬ 
tinue  the  inspired  work.  But  the  most  significant 
statement  is  at  the  last  of  this  communication: 

Yet  have  I  left  me  seven  thousand  in  Israel,  all  the  knees 
which  have  not  bowed  unto  Baal,  and  every  mouth  which  hath 
not  kissed  him. 

Elijah  thought,  as  so  many  zealous  ones  have 
thought,  that  he  was  alone;  that  the  whole  world 
was  given  over  to  evil;  that  he  was  necessary  to  the 
divine  plan;  and  that  after  his  death,  God  would 
not  have  a  friend  remaining  in  the  whole  world. 
But  he  was  told  that  there  were  many  who  had  not 
surrendered  to  error  and  darkness;  many  who  were 
keeping  the  lamp  alight.  Reformers  are  surprised 
when  they  meet  anyone  who  holds  their  opinions; 
but  in  the  blackest  ages  of  history  there  have  always 
been  a  sufficient  number  who  have  kept  the  truth  and 
passed  it  on.  They  are  the  salt  of  the  earth. 

There  was  a  certain  rich  man  named  Naboth,  who 
owned  a  magnificent  vineyard,  and  it  happened  to 
be  situated  very  near  the  royal  palace  at  Jezreel. 
Every  time  King  Ahab  looked  at  this  fine  property, 
he  broke  the  tenth  commandment,  and  as  he  had 
broken  the  others,  he  felt  no  remorse;  all  he  felt  at 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  167 


this  time  was  earth-lust.  The  king  was  so  eager  that 
he  spoke  directly  to  Naboth,  saying  that  he  wanted 
the  vineyard  for  a  vegetable  garden;  he  would  give 
in  exchange  a  better  vineyard  in  another  locality;  or 
if  Naboth  preferred,  he  could  receive  payment  in 
cold  cash.  This  request  was  of  course  equivalent 
to  a  command. 

Naboth,  like  some  men  in  the  twentieth  century, 
was  both  rich  and  religious;  he  had  kept  the  Mosaic 
law,  being  one  of  the  seven  thousand;  and  he  was 
especially  faithful  to  the  fifth  commandment.  His 
audacity  in  answering  the  king  is  even  more  remark¬ 
able  than  his  faith;  for  he  said  in  a  manner  so  un¬ 
compromising  that  it  did  not  conceal  his  contempt, 
“God  forbid  that  I  should  give  you  my  fathers’ 
land.” 

Ahab  behaved  like  a  child  whose  petition  for 
candy  has  been  denied;  he  went  back  to  his  palace, 
lay  down  on  the  bed,  turned  his  face  to  the  wall,  and 
would  not  come  to  his  meals.  Jezebel  hovered  over 
him,  purred  like  a  tiger-cat,  and  told  him  to  rise  and 
be  merry;  for  she  would  give  him  the  vineyard  of 
Naboth.  As  there  are  many  wives  who  find  it  con¬ 
venient  not  to  ask  their  husbands  where  the  money 
comes  from,  so  Ahab  did  not  ask  the  queen  what 
method  was  in  her  mind.  He  awaited  results,  hav¬ 
ing  a  well-founded  belief  in  the  ability  of  his  partner. 

When  women  are  bad,  they  are  perhaps  more 
thorough  in  evil  than  men;  men  are  tormented  by 
fears  and  scruples,  but  women  are  more  interested  in 


168  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


things  than  in  ideas,  and  go  after  what  they  want. 
Jezebel,  like  Lady  Macbeth,  feared  the  temporising 
and  self-debating  nature  of  her  lord;  she  therefore 
took  the  matter  in  her  own  hands,  and  being  as 
clever  as  she  was  unscrupulous,  soon  arranged  every¬ 
thing  to  her  satisfaction. 

It  is  interesting  to  see  that  she  had  no  difficulty 
in  corrupting  the  courts ;  she  hired  two  scoundrels 
to  give  false  witness,  and  say  that  Naboth  was  un¬ 
patriotic;  he  had  been  heard  to  blaspheme  God  and 
the  King.  Any  utterance  against  the  state  has  been 
in  all  communities  the  unpardonable  sin.  Naboth 
was  immediately  condemned  under  the  espionage 
law;  mob  sentiment  was  aroused,  and  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  man  hustled  out  of  the  city  gates  and  stoned 
to  death.  No  doubt  men,  women,  and  children 
gladly  assisted  in  this  holiday  performance. 

When  news  was  brought  to  the  queen  of  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  her  plan,  she  told  Ahab  to  go  dowm  and  enjoy 
a  walk  in  his  new  vineyard,  because  Naboth  was  no 
longer  living.  The  king  lost  no  time  in  going 
thither,  but  his  pleasure  in  his  new  property  was 
ruined  by  the  presence  of  Elijah,  who  stood  in  the 
vineyard  waiting  for  him.  What  a  spoil-sport,  what 
a  kill-joy  is  Conscience !  Ahab  shook  with  both  fear 
and  rage,  and  said  to  the  prophet,  “Hast  thou  found 
me,  O  mine  enemy?”  The  grim,  hairy  Tishbite 
answered  him  sternly,  “I  have  found  thee.”  Then 
he  prophesied  that  in  the  place  where  dogs  licked 
up  the  blood  of  Naboth,  dogs  should  also  taste  the 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  169 


blood  of  the  king  standing  before  him;  that  Jezebel 
should  be  devoured  by  dogs  near  the  wall  of  Jezreel. 

Ahab,  who  lacked  both  courage  and  convictions, 
was  smitten  with  terror;  he  rent  his  garments;  he 
wore  sackcloth;  he  fasted;  and  walked  softly.  Thus 
he  obtained — one  hardly  sees  why — a  reprieve  from 
immediate  annihilation  at  the  hand  of  Jehovah.  But 
he  was  under  sentence  of  death,  and  knew  he  was 
a  doomed  man.  And  every  time  he  was  caressed  by 
Queen  Jezebel,  he  must  have  seen  in  imagination 
the  horrible  dogs  eating  her  body. 

Jehoshaphat,  the  son  of  Asa,  was  king  of  Judah. 
He  was  a  good  man,  and  seems  to  have  been  par¬ 
ticularly  amiable.  For  three  years  there  had  been 
no  war  between  Syria  and  Israel;  then  Jehoshaphat 
paid  a  visit  in  state  to  Ahab,  and  the  two  kings  held 
a  conference.  Ahab  fatuously  desired  to  make  war 
on  Syria.  In  response  to  an  enquiry,  Jehoshaphat 
said,  “I  am  as  thou  art,  my  people  as  thy  people, 
my  horses  as  thy  horses.”  But  he  added  that  before 
putting  their  allied  forces  in  battle  array,  it  would 
be  well  to  consult  the  prophets  of  the  Lord.  Ahab 
issued  an  order;  four  hundred  of  his  own  special 
seers  assembled,  and  with  one  voice  prophesied 
victory.  But  the  King  of  Judah  was  not  satisfied 
either  of  the  wisdom  or  of  the  authority  of  these 
phrase-mongers;  and  he  enquired  with  a  rare  touch 
of  irony,  “Is  there  not  here  a  prophet  of  the  Lord 
besides,  that  we  might  find  out  the  truth  from  him?” 

Then  Ahab  reluctantly  admitted  that  there  was 


170  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


one  man,  Micaiah  by  name;  he  was  really  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord.  “But  I  hate  him:  for  he  doth  not 
prophesy  good  concerning  me,  but  evil.”  This  naive 
remark  expresses  the  true  feelings  of  the  king,  and 
of  thousands  of  other  persons  who  pretend  that  they 
want  advice.  But  Jehoshaphat  made  a  deprecatory 
gesture,  and  said  he  would  feel  better  about  it  if 
Micaiah  would  come. 

There  followed  a  dramatic  scene.  A  space  was 
cleared  before  the  gates  of  Samaria;  two  thrones 
were  erected,  on  which  sat  the  two  kings,  each  clad 
in  the  royal  robes.  A  group  of  prophets  appeared 
before  them,  and  spoke  of  flattering  style.  A  cer¬ 
tain  Zedekiah,  histrionically  gifted,  had  made  horns 
of  iron,  and  shouted,  “With  these  shalt  thou  push 
the  Syrians,  until  thou  have  consumed  them.”  His 
colleagues  greeted  this  with  unanimous  support  and 
approval.  Meanwhile  the  courtier  that  had  been 
sent  to  fetch  Micaiah,  fearing  that  there  might  be 
an  unpleasant  scene,  and  wishing  to  avoid  embarrass¬ 
ment,  undertook  to  advise  him,  urging  that  he  join 
in  with  the  others,  and  speak  fair  words.  But 
Micaiah  gave  the  messenger  to  understand  that  he 
took  orders  only  from  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

When  he  appeared  before  the  two  thrones,  there 
was  an  ominous  silence,  and  Ahab,  in  a  tone  that 
may  be  easily  imagined,  said,  “Micaiah,  shall  we 
go  against  Ramoth-Gilead  to  battle,  or  shall  we  for¬ 
bear?”  The  irony  of  the  prophet’s  reply  is  mag¬ 
nificent.  Seeing  what  was  expected  of  him,  he  said 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  171 


tauntingly,  “Go,  and  prosper.”  This  manner  en¬ 
raged  King  Ahab,  and  he  demanded  the  truth.  Then 
the  expression  of  Micaiah’s  face  underwent  a 
change;  and  he  spoke  out  with  indescribable 
solemnity : 

I  saw  all  Israel  scattered  upon  the  hills,  as  sheep  that  have 
not  a  shepherd:  and  the  Lord  said,  These  have  no  master:  let 
them  return  every  man  to  his  house  in  peace. 

Ahab  turned  to  his  royal  colleague,  and  cried  angrily, 
“What  did  I  tell  you?”  But  before  Jehoshaphat 
had  time  to  speak,  the  face  of  Micaiah  took  on  a 
rapt  expression,  like  the  countenance  of  a  man  who 
sees  a  strange  vision.  His  mind  was  distant  from  the 
kings  and  the  prophets  there  assembled;  he  regarded 
neither  the  time  nor  the  place;  he  saw  Jehovah  the 
King  of  kings  seated  on  the  throne  of  heaven,  with 
the  angelic  hosts  before  him: 

And  the  Lord  said,  Who  shall  persuade  Ahab,  that  he  may  go 
up  and  fall  at  Ramoth-Gilead?  And  one  said  on  this  manner, 
and  another  said  on  that  manner. 

And  there  came  forth  a  spirit,  and  stood  before  the  Lord,  and 
said,  I  will  persuade  him.  ...  I  will  go  forth,  and  I  will  be 
a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all  his  prophets. 

Zedekiah’s  professional  pride  was  sorely  hurt  by 
this  utterance;  his  iron  horns  grew  hot  in  his  hands; 
he  rushed  at  Micaiah,  struck  him  fiercely  in  the 
face,  and  said  scornfully,  “Which  way  went  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  from  me  to  speak  unto  thee?” 
and  Micaiah,  unmoved  both  by  insult  and  by  blow, 


172  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


responded  gravely,  “Behold,  thou  shalt  see  in  that 
day,  when  thou  shalt  go  into  an  inner  chamber  to 
hide  thyself.” 

King  Ahab  prorogued  the  assembly  by  command¬ 
ing  that  Micaiah  be  thrown  into  a  dungeon,  and  fed 
on  miserable  rations,  until  he  should  return  in 
triumph.  But  Micaiah  told  him  that  he  should  not 
return  at  all,  and  called  all  the  audience  to  witness. 

What  the  good  Jehoshaphat  thought  of  this  ex¬ 
traordinary  scene,  we  shall  never  know;  but  he  not 
only  consented  to  enter  the  battle,  he  agreed  to  dis¬ 
guise  himself  in  Ahab’s  uniform;  he  was  indeed 
amiable. 

Now  the  King  of  Syria  was  out  for  big  game; 
and  he  commanded  all  his  captains  to  pay  no  atten¬ 
tion  to  anybody  except  the  King  of  Israel.  There¬ 
fore  when  they  saw  Jehoshaphat  in  his  chariot,  the 
tide  of  battle  turned  that  way;  and  the  King  of 
Judah  cried  out,  in  desperate  peril.  The  Syrians, 
seeing  he  was  not  their  man,  turned  aside;  but  an 
unknown  archer,  taking  a  mere  chance,  shot  into 
the  host  of  Israel,  and  hit  Ahab  between  the  joints 
of  his  armour ;  Ahab  told  the  driver  to  drive  to  the 
rear,  for  he  was  wounded.  Friends  supported  him 
all  day,  so  that  his  condition  could  not  be  known  by 
his  army;  the  dying  man  sat  straight  in  his  chariot. 
The  victory  was  won  by  the  Syrians,  and  the  com¬ 
mand  to  the  retreating  Hebrews  was  for  a  complete 
dispersion,  every  man  to  his  home,  in  accordance 
v/ith  the  vision  of  Micaiah. 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  173 


King  Ahab  died  at  sunset,  and  as  the  servants 
were  washing  the  chariot  by  the  pool  of  Samaria, 
stray  dogs  appeared,  who  licked  up  the  royal  blood, 
even  as  Elijah  had  foretold  in  the  pleasant  garden 
of  Naboth. 

Ahab  was  succeeded  on  the  throne  of  Israel  by 
his  son  Ahaziah,  who  followed  his  father  and 
mother  in  doing  evil  continually.  It  is  interesting 
to  observe  how  much  better  the  kings  of  Judah 
behaved  than  the  kings  of  Israel.  The  criminal 
conduct  of  Jeroboam  was  a  pattern  for  his  followers. 

The  last  hours  of  Elijah  were  at  hand;  but  before 
his  dramatic  exit,  he  spoke  terrible  words  and  did  ter¬ 
rible  things.  King  Ahaziah  fell  through  a  window, 
and  was  confined  to  his  bed;  he  enquired  of  a  pagan 
god  whether  he  should  recover.  But  the  messengers 
he  sent  on  this  mission  were  encountered  on  the  high¬ 
way  by  Elijah,  who  told  them  to  turn  back  and  tell 
the  king  that  the  only  true  God  declared  that  he 
should  never  leave  his  bed  alive.  Ahaziah  asked 
the  thoroughly  frightened  emissaries  as  to  the  ap¬ 
pearance  and  manner  of  the  man  who  spoke  to 
them,  and  they  said,  “It  was  an  hairy  man,  and  girt 
with  a  girdle  of  leather  about  his  loins.”  And  the 
king  said,  “It  is  Elijah  the  Tishbite.” 

Accordingly  Ahaziah  sent  a  captain  and  fifty  men 
to  capture  the  prophet;  and  when  this  unfortunate 
company  drew  near  their  destination,  they  saw  the 
lonely  prophet  sitting  on  a  throne  of  his  own;  sitting 
on  the  top  of  a  little  hill.  The  captain,  who  seems 


174  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


to  have  done  only  his  duty,  spoke  with  sufficient 
respect,  saying,  “Thou  man  of  God,  the  king  hath 
said,  ‘Come  down.’  ”  Elijah’s  answer  was  a  blast 
of  flame  from  heaven,  which  devoured  the  whole 
company.  A  second  captain  was  sent  out,  and  he 
bravely  gave  the  same  message,  adding  adverbially, 
“Come  down  quickly.”  He  was  greeted  by  the 
same  fiery  answer,  which  consumed  him  and  his 
soldiers.  A  third  captain  was  sent  out,  and  he  had 
learned  something  by  the  fate  of  his  predecessors; 
for  although  he  had  been  accustomed  to  command, 
he  saw  that  he  had  to  do  with  an  exceptional  case, 
and  he  thought  there  had  been  enough  playing  with 
fire.  He  left  his  fifty  men  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
while  he,  with  what  terror  may  be  imagined,  went 
up  alone  to  the  prophet,  fell  on  his  knees,  and  en¬ 
treated  him:  “O  man  of  God,  I  pray  thee,  let  my 
life,  and  the  life  of  these  fifty  thy  servants,  be 
precious  in  thy  sight.”  Elijah’s  anger  was  turned 
away  by  this  soft  question,  and  he  accompanied  the 
men  of  war  to  the  king’s  palace.  He  went  into  the 
bed-chamber,  and  told  Ahaziah  to  his  face  that  he 
should  surely  die.  And  Ahaziah  died. 

Seldom  has  anyone  shown  such  eagerness  to  re¬ 
ceive  bad  news  in  person;  but  Ahaziah  was  a  king, 
and  had  the  obstinacy  that  so  often  accompanies 
density  of  mind. 

Elijah  himself  had  never  been  afraid  of  fire.  It 
was  his  element.  With  it  he  had  demonstrated  his 
religion  against  the  prophets  of  Baal,  with  it  he  had 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  175 


annihilated  one  hundred  and  two  military  men,  and 
it  was  therefore  natural  that  he  should  depart  in  a 
flaming  chariot.  Accompanied  by  his  heir,  Elisha, 
who  was  to  perform  many  more  miracles  than  he, 
the  stern  old  man  drew  near  to  Bethel,  where 
Jacob  had  wrestled  with  the  angel.  There  the 
divinity  students  came  out  and  whispered  to  Elisha, 
“Knowest  thou  that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy 
master  from  thy  head  today?”  And  he  told  them 
tartly  that  the  question  was  unnecessary.  Elijah 
tested  his  companion  by  repeatedly  asking  him  to 
cease  following  him;  but  Elisha,  who  never  lacked 
assurance,  knew  that  great  things  were  to  happen, 
and  that  the  day  would  be  forever  memorable.  He 
refused  to  depart,  and  clung  to  the  side  of  his 
teacher.  When  they  got  to  Jericho,  the  divinity 
students  came  out  and  asked  the  same  question  heard 
at  Bethel;  and  Elisha  made  the  same  rejoinder. 
Fifty  of  them  followed  curiously  afar  off,  for  won¬ 
ders  were  in  the  air.  The  two  prophets  stood  on 
the  bank  of  Jordan;  Elijah  took  his  stiff  mantle, 
rolled  it  up  like  a  staff,  and  smote  the  waters,  which 
receded  on  both  sides,  and  the  pair  walked  over  on 
solid  ground.  Then  Elijah  turned  to  the  persever¬ 
ing  Elisha,  and  told  him  he  was  about  to  be  taken 
away.  Was  there  any  particular  request  Elisha  had 
in  mind?  Immediately  Elisha  demanded  boldly, 
“Let  a  double  portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me.” 
Elijah  was  amazed  at  the  audacity  of  the  petition, 
but  he  replied  after  a  moment’s  thought,  that  if 


176  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Elisha  should  see  him  in  his  departure,  he  would 
then  know  that  his  heart’s  desire  would  be  fulfilled. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  majesty  of  the  language 
that  describes  the  following  scene: 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still  went  on,  and  talked,  that, 
behold,  there  appeared  a  chariot  of  fire,  and  horses  of  fire,  and 
parted  them  both  asunder;  and  Elijah  went  up  by  a  whirlwind 
into  heaven. 

And  Elisha  saw  it,  and  he  cried,  My  father,  my  father,  the 
chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof.  And  he  saw  him 
no  more:  and  he  took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  them 
in  two  pieces. 

Amid  the  flaming  tempest  of  Elijah’s  ascension,  a 
dark  object  came  whirling  through  the  air,  and  fell  to 
the  ground;  Elisha  seized  upon  it,  and  took  posses¬ 
sion.  It  was  the  mantle  of  the  departed  prophet,  and 
his  successor  then  knew  that  he  was  inspired  with  a 
double  portion  of  the  spirit  that  had  animated  the 
old  hero,  and  given  him  power  to  perform  many 
mighty  works.  The  mantle  of  Elijah  had  fallen 
upon  Elisha. 

Elijah  is  one  of  the  most  famous  among  the  sons 
of  men.  His  character  is  more  sublime  than  lov¬ 
able;  for  it  was  his  destiny  to  be  a  steadfast  ser¬ 
vant  of  God  among  many  apostates,  and  to  speak 
the  truth  when  it  was  most  unwelcome.  He  is  a 
dark  and  tragic  figure,  outlined  against  a  gay  and 
pleasure-loving  court;  his  loneliness  is  most  appeal¬ 
ing;  and  indeed  those  who  devote  themselves  in  all 
sincerity  to  the  Divine  Will  must  have  souls  capable 


SOLOMON  IN  ALL  HIS  GLORY  177 


of  withstanding  the  terrors  of  solitude.  They  must 
make  their  own  world,  for  they  do  not  share  the 
common  aims  of  society.  Yet  their  darkness  is 
lightened  by  the  lamp  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

From  the  literary  point  of  view,  the  personality 
of  Elijah  is  of  the  very  essence  of  romance;  he  had 
fallen  on  evil  days,  and  his  menacing  face  and  voice 
appearing  and  sounding  when  most  unexpected,  have 
that  element  of  contrast  that  belongs  most  particu¬ 
larly  to  great  drama. 


VIII 

THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


His  Selection  by  Elijahr-r-Immense  Influence  of  Elisha 
— His  Numerous  Miracles — His  Vitality — His  Leaving 
His  Father  and  Mother — His  Youthful  Modesty 
Hardening  Into  the  Pride  of  Office — Dangers  of 
Ecclesiastical  Snobbery — The  Purifying  of  the  City 
Water  Plant  at  Jericho — Elisha" s  Cruelty  in  Murder¬ 
ing  Little  Children — The  War  with  Moab — The  Three 
Kings — W ars  Destruction — The  Widow" s  Debt — Hos¬ 
pitality  of  a  Prominent  Society  Woman — The  Pleasant 
Study  and  Bedroom  of  Elisha — His  Restoration  of  the 
Sun-struck  Boy — Browning’ s  Allusion — Story  of  Naa- 
man — Religious  Etiquette — Fate  of  Gehazi — Raising 
of  the  Axe — Imponderable  Allies  in  Battle — The 
Famine  at  the  Siege — Degradation  and,  Approaching 
Destruction  of  Israel — Elisha’s  Brand  of  Patriotism — 
His  W eeping—Hazael  the  Dog — The  Revolution  of 
Jehu — Assassination  of  Two  Kings — Defiant  Jezebel — 
Bloody  Days — Athaliah  and  the  New  King — The  Ar¬ 
row  at  the  Window — Death  of  Elisha — His  Influence. 


VIII 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


Four  years  before  the  death  of  King  Ahab,  Elijah 
appointed  Elisha,  the  son  of  Shaphat,  to  be  his 
successor;  until  the  translation  of  the  prophet,  the 
younger  man  acted  as  a  kind  of  private  secretary 
and  body-servant,  accompanying  the  man  of  God  on 
his  pilgrimages  hither  and  thither;  but  after  the 
flaming  exit  of  his  master,  Elisha  became  Prophet 
of  Israel  and  held  this  exalted  and  dangerous  post 
fifty-five  years.  He  is  one  of  the  grandest  figures 
in  Hebrew  history.  His  importance  and  influence 
are  marked  by  the  extraordinary  number  of  miracles 
he  performed;  his  career  was  filled  with  amazing 
adventures.  He  must  have  found  life  tremendously 
interesting,  for  there  was  scarcely  a  day  without  ex¬ 
citement.  Although  his  personality  lacks  the  roman¬ 
tic  gloom  enveloping  the  lonely  figure  of  Elijah,  the 
disciple  became  more  powerful  than  his  teacher, 
exerting  a  deep  influence  on  both  Israelites  and 
aliens.  He  kept  the  faith  with  unswerving  passion ; 
the  consciousness  of  his  divine  mission  was  so  para¬ 
mount  that  he  spoke  to  kings  and  nobles  as  a  pleni* 
potentiary  speaks  to  a  vassal. 

181 


182  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  name  Elisha  means  God  is  Saviour .  During 
his  life  he  saved  many,  and  his  vitality  was  so 
astounding  that  even  after  his  death  and  burial, 
his  dry  bones  had  more  force  than  radium. 

Seldom  has  so  distinguished  a  career  been  told 
in  so  few  words;  the  sayings  and  deeds  of  Elisha  are 
immortal  both  in  literature  and  in  their  moral  in¬ 
fluence  ;  yet  his  entire  biography  covers  only  a  dozen 
chapters  in  the  Bible. 

The  first  meeting  of  Elijah  and  ELisha  is  charm¬ 
ing.  The  former  had  left  the  cave  where  he  had 
listened  to  the  still  small  voice,  and  had  walked 
directly  to  a  great  farm.  There  he  found  Elisha, 
the  son  of  Shaphat,  plowing  with  twelve  yoke  of 
oxen  before  him,  and  he  with  the  twelfth.  Does  this 
mean  that  the  young  man  was  driving  twenty-four 
oxen  in  pairs  before  the  plow?  If  so,  he  must  have 
been  a  more  skillful  driver  than  Ben-Hur,  and  the 
soil  must  have  been  tougher  than  the  Puritans  found 
in  New  England. 

However  this  may  be,  Elijah  silently  cast  his 
mantle  upon  him,  significant  of  the  day  of  wonder 
when  he  should  receive  it  in  perpetuity;  Elisha  knew 
instantly  that  his  work  as  a  farmer  had  ended  for¬ 
ever.  But  he  was  an  affectionate  son;  he  ran  after 
the  man  of  God,  and  said,  “Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  kiss 
my  father  and  my  mother,  and  then  I  will  follow 
thee.”  Elijah  must  have  smiled,  perhaps  for  the 
only  time  in  his  life.  He  looked  on  the  young  man 
and  loved  him,  and  answered  softly,  “Go  back 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


183 


again :  for  what  have  I  done  to  thee  ?”  Elisha  ran  to 
the  farmhouse,  kissed  old  Shaphat  and  his  wife, 
hurried  back  to  where  Elijah  was  waiting,  slew  two 
oxen,  built  a  fire  with  the  wooden  harness,  and  there 
wTas  a  solemn  farewell  feast,  in  which  the  family  and 
all  the  farm-hands  participated.  Then  Elisha  fol¬ 
lowed  Elijah,  and  ministered  unto  him,  leaving 
Shaphat  solitary  but  proud — proud  as  only  a  re¬ 
ligious  old  farmer  can  be,  when  his  son  becomes  a 
clergyman. 

It  is  perhaps  unfortunate  that  the  sweet  and  un¬ 
affected  humility  which  characterised  the  young 
Elisha  should  have  left  him  on  his  assumption  of 
office.  But  such  is  the  way  of  all  flesh;  the  frank 
young  prince  may  become  the  domineering  king; 
the  humble  priest  may  become  the  haughty  cardinal; 
the  unassuming  parson  may  grow  into  the  arrogant 
bishop.  Not  even  God’s  holy  servants  can  all  stand 
prosperity;  but  are  to  their  own  past  as  the  Trust 
Magnate  is  to  his  distant  clerkship.  Early  modesty 
sometimes  disappears  in  the  pride  of  office  and  the 
smother  of  flattery  accompanying  it.  Some  golden- 
hearted  village  preachers  become  ecclesiastical 
snobs.  It  is  especially  necessary  that  all  professional 
religious  teachers  should  pray  every  day,  Lead  us 
not  into  temptation . 

Whatever  may  be  the  necessity  or  the  desirability 
in  hierarchical  forms  of  religion,  I  think  it  is  for¬ 
tunate  that  the  ordinary  Christian  minister  has  lost 
the  social  prestige  and  authority  that  formerly  envel- 


184  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


oped  his  person.  It  is  well  that  there  should  be 
respect  toward  the  Servants  of  God,  as  toward  the 
Servants  of  the  Nation;  but  the  respect  should  be  to 
the  man  rather  than  to  the  office.  In  Puritan  days, 
the  minister  walked  the  street  as  a  captain  treads 
the  quarter-deck;  people  doffed  their  hats,  and  spoke 
to  him  with  deference.  I  am  sure  this  was  not 
always  good  for  these  religious  chieftains.  Pride 
establishes  an  insuperable  barrier  between  human 
hearts.  If  I  were  a  minister,  I  should  feel  insulted 
if  men  changed  their  ordinary  conversation  as  I 
entered  the  room;  or  if  on  the  train  some  commercial 
traveller  swore,  adding,  “Beg  your  pardon,  parson,” 
as  if  I  were  a  woman.  As  in  the  days  of  chivalry, 
such  thin  courtesy  fails  to  conceal  the  real  contempt. 

It  is  impossible  that  all  men  who  hold  high  office 
in  the  church  should,  in  the  beauty  of  their  character, 
equal  the  marvellous  bishop  in  Les  Miserables ,  who 
yet  was  drawn  from  the  life;  but  there  is  no  greater 
tragedy  than  by  becoming  a  leader  to  cease  being  a 
Christian. 

Have  we  misjudged  here,  over-armed  our  knight, 

Given  gold  and  silk  where  plain  hard  steel  serves  best, 
Enfeebled  whom  we  sought  to  fortify, 

Made  an  archbishop  and  undone  a  saint? 

As  soon  as  the  last  trace  of  flame  that  marked 
the  ascending  Elijah  had  vanished  from  the  sky, 
Elisha  seized  the  mantle,  and  returned  toward  the 
river  Jordan.  As  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  flow- 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


185 


ing  stream,  he  cried  out,  “Where  is  the  Lord  God 
of  Elijah?”  Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he 
smote  the  water  with  Elijah’s  mantle;  a  dry  lane 
appeared,  and  Elisha  crossed  to  the  opposite  bank. 
The  same  divinity  students  of  Jericho  that  had 
watched  the  two  prophets  with  such  curiosity,  now 
saw  the  younger  man  returning  alone.  They  came 
up  to  him,  bowed  to  the  ground,  and  made  a  singu¬ 
lar  request.  Fifty  of  them  were  athletes,  and  asked 
permission  to  go  and  search  for  Elijah,  “lest  per- 
adventure  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  hath  taken  him  up, 
and  cast  him  upon  some  mountain,  or  into  some 
valley.”  Elisha  naturally  refused;  but  their  con¬ 
tinued  pertinacity  made  him  ashamed,  and  he  finally 
granted  the  desired  permission.  Fifty  of  them 
eagerly  departed  on  the  trail;  how  they  crossed 
Jordan  we  do  not  know;  but  their  expedition  was 
fruitless,  and  they  returned  rather  crestfallen  to 
Jericho,  wdiere  Elisha  had  waited  for  them.  He 
said,  “I  told  you  so.” 

His  confidence  in  his  miraculous  powers,  estab¬ 
lished  by  the  separation  of  the  waters  of  Jordan, 
was  further  increased  at  Jericho.  The  citizens  called 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  city  water  supply 
had  become  contaminated,  so  that  frequent  deaths 
resulted.  Elisha  ordered  them  to  bring  him  a  new, 
clean  vessel,  and  to  put  salt  in  it.  With  this  in  his 
hand,  he  went  to  the  reservoir,  threw  in  the  salt,  and 
declared  the  water  healed.  It  has  been  pure  ever 
since. 


186  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Immediately  after  this  good  work  of  sanitation 
came  the  event  which  has  left  on  the  character  of 
Elisha  an  ineffaceable  stain.  Elijah  was  a  hairy 
man,  but  Elisha,  although  he  was  young,  was  notice¬ 
ably  bald;  and,  like  many  who  have  lost  their  hair, 
was  sensitive.  As  he  drew  near  to  the  town  of 
Bethel,  swelling  with  the  new  grandeur  of  his  office, 
feeling  his  prophetic  oats,  a  covey  of  little  children 
came  flying  toward  him,  and  instead  of  being 
overawed  by  his  dignity,  they  were  amused  by  his 
premature  baldness— trust  them  for  noting  any 
peculiarity!  They  mocked  him,  and  shouted,  “Go 
up,  thou  bald  head;  go  up,  thou  bald  head.” 

These  children  are  the  same  in  all  places  and  all 
times ;  they  are  the  children  of  the  streets,  the  news¬ 
boys,  gamins,  sharp-eyed  waifs.  The  muckers  of 
the  city  of  Bethel  were  in  nowise  different  from  the 
muckers  of  Paris,  London,  or  Chicago;  they  saluted 
Elisha  in  the  same  derisory  fashion  as  greets  any 
rather  pompous  pedestrian.  Elisha,  alas,  had  no 
sense  of  humour,  and  a  dreadful  thing  happened. 
He  turned  back  and  cursed  them  loudly;  and  before 
the  echoes  of  his  cursing  had  died  on  the  air,  two 
she-bears  came  out  of  a  thicket,  and  tore  forty-two 
children.  It  is  not  recorded  that  the  prophet  felt 
any  remorse ;  at  that  moment  he  was  more  like  the 
wild  beasts  than  like  a  little  child. 

In  no  justification  of  this  abominable  deed,  but  as 
an  explanation  of  his  uncompromising  severity,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  the  prophet  Elisha  lived 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


187 


in  days  of  apostasy  and  sin;  all  around  him  he  saw 
a  decadent  and  corrupt  society,  that  had  cynically 
turned  its  back  on  both  God  and  morality.  He  was 
a  voice  of  truth  in  an  age  of  error.  The  times  were 
evil.  Idolatry  and  sensuality  were  rampant,  and 
every  hour  brought  nearer  the  shadow  of  Assyria. 

Jehoram  succeeded  his  father  Ahab  on  the  throne 
of  Israel;  he  was  an  improvement,  for  he  put  away 
the  image  of  Baal;  but  he  followed  Jeroboam  in  the 
ways  of  darkness.  The  subjected  king  of  Moab 
had  paid  a  mighty  tribute  of  provisions  to  Israel, 
sending  regularly  a  hundred  thousand  lambs  and  a 
hundred  thousand  unsheared  rams.  But  after  the 
defeat  and  death  of  Ahab,  he  thought  it  safe  to 
stop  these  payments.  Accordingly,  Jehoram  col¬ 
lected  an  army  for  a  punitive  expedition.  He  sent 
to  the  worthy  Jehoshaphat,  king  of  Judah,  whose 
advancing  years  had  not  lessened  his  extraordinary 
amiability.  Jehoshaphat  made  the  same  reply  that 
he  had  formerly  made  to  Ahab,  “I  am  as  thou  art, 
my  people  as  thy  people,  and  my  horses  as  thy 
horses.”  With  the  monarch  of  Edom  as  ally,  the 
three  kings  advanced  with  their  armies.  But  there 
was  no  water,  and  Jehoram  was  in  despair.  Jehosh¬ 
aphat  reminded  him,  as  he  had  reminded  his  father, 
that  it  might  be  well  to  take  counsel  of  a  prophet  of 
the  Lord.  It  is  perhaps  natural  that  the  name  of 
Elisha  should  have  been  better  known  to  the  serv¬ 
ants  of  the  king  than  to  the  king  himself;  at  all 
events,  one  of  Jehoram’s  servants  suggested  that  the 


188  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


famous  successor  of  the  famous  Elijah  was  within 
reach;  and  the  good  Jehoshaphat  said  delightedly, 
“The  word  of  the  Lord  is  with  him.” 

It  is  an  interesting  and  significant  fact,  that  in¬ 
stead  of  sending  for  Elisha,  the  three  kings  paid  him 
a  visit  in  person.  Their  reception  was  anything  but 
respectful.  Elisha  glared  at  Jehoram,  and  in  the 
most  insulting  tone  recommended  him  to  consult  the 
prophets  of  his  father  and  mother.  The  king  of 
Israel  must  have  been  very  thirsty,  for  instead  of 
resenting  this  language  he  begged  Elisha  to  help 
them,  saying  they  were  in  deadly  peril.  Elisha 
looked  at  the  benevolent  countenance  of  the  good 
king  of  Judah  and  said  sternly,  “Were  it  not  that 
I  regard  the  presence  of  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of 
Judah,  I  would  not  look  toward  thee,  nor  see  thee.” 

Then  Elisha  called  for  a  minstrel;  and  as  the 
minstrel  played  ravishing  music,  he  was  inspired. 
He  told  them  to  make  many  ditches,  for  although 
there  would  come  neither  wind  nor  rain,  water 
would  flood  the  valley,  so  that  there  would  be  more 
than  sufficient  for  man  and  beast.  The  Moabites 
would  be  delivered  into  their  hands,  and  they  should 
show  no  mercy. 

Next  morning,  indeed,  the  valley  shone  with 
water,  and  to  the  disordered  eyes  of  the  Moabite 
host  it  looked  like  blood.  They  believed  that  the 
three  kings  had  fought  with  one  another;  “now, 
therefore,  Moab,  to  the  spoil.”  Unfortunately  for 
them,  they  found  a  united  and  grimly  determined 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


189 


host,  who  slaughtered  them  relentlessly.  The  Israel¬ 
ites  pursued  the  shrieking  fugitives  into  their  own 
country.  They  killed  all  the  men,  women,  and  chil¬ 
dren;  they  stopped  all  the  wells  of  water;  they  felled 
all  the  good  trees ;  they  ruined  every  piece  of  profit¬ 
able  land. 

War  is  always  horrible.  No  nation  in  ancient  or 
modern  times  suffered  worse  than  those  who  were 
defeated  by  the  children  of  Israel;  the  method  was 
annihilation,  which  spared  neither  women,  nor  chil¬ 
dren,  nor  farms,  nor  temples ;  they  were  meaning  to 
make  their  foes  permanently  helpless.  It  is  not  at 
all  surprising  that  we  find  the  Bible  historian  com¬ 
menting  on  the  feelings  of  the  defeated  Moabites 
in  this  fashion:  “And  there  was  great  indignation 
against  Israel.”  What  savages,  they  must  have  re¬ 
flected,  were  the  chosen  people  I 

We  forget  how  destructive  war  is  till  we  live 
under  its  curse.  One  reason  why  the  recent  great 
war  had  such  a  novel  air  of  horrible  wickedness  is 
because  people  for  the  most  part  do  not  read  his¬ 
tory;  apart  from  the  devilish  inventions  of  science, 
the  same  things  happened  in  our  time  that  have  so 
often  followed  the  track  of  war — slaughter,  destruc¬ 
tion  of  orchards  and  crops,  sickness,  famine,  and  the 
high  cost  of  living. 

A  certain  widow  came  to  Elisha,  and  told  a  story 
in  which  the  woe  of  a  million  defenceless  widows 
is  revealed.  In  the  permanent  absence  of  the  man 
of  the  house,  the  cruel  creditor  descended  upon  the 


190  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


lone  woman,  and  threatened  to  take  away  for  pay¬ 
ment  of  debt  the  only  property  she  had.  This  con¬ 
sisted  of  her  two  sons,  who  were  to  be  seized. 
Elisha  asked  her  what  she  had  in  the  house.  It 
appeared  that  the  poor  creature  had  nothing  except 
one  pot  of  oil.  He  accordingly  told  her  to  borrow 
“not  a  few”  empty  vessels  of  her  neighbours,  to  re¬ 
tire  into  the  house  with  her  sons,  to  shut  the  door, 
and  then  to  pour  oil  into  the  numerous  receptacles. 
This  she  did  until  all  were  filled.  She  was  then  in¬ 
formed  that  she  must  sell  the  oil,  pay  the  debt,  and 
live  in  security  on  what  remained.  I  wish  I  could 
have  seen  the  countenance  of  her  creditor  when  she 
paid  him  in  cash  as  hard  as  his  face. 

Cultivated  and  fashionable  women  have  often 
received  spiritual  leaders  with  enthusiasm.  One 
day,  when  Elisha  was  in  Shunem,  he  met  a  promi¬ 
nent  society  woman;  she  was  impressed,  and  invited 
the  prophet  to  dinner.  Thereafter,  whenever  he 
happened  to  visit  the  town,  he  accepted  her  standing 
invitation,  and  always  stopped  at  her  house.  In 
view  of  the  frequency  of  these  journeys,  she  sug¬ 
gested  to  her  husband  that  they  make  a  slight  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  house,  consisting  of  a  new  room  on  the 
roof,  that  should  be  for  the  exclusive  use  of  Elisha, 
where  he  could  keep  what  things  he  needed,  and 
always  feel  at  home.  This  was  done;  a  room  was 
built,  and  furnished  with  a  bed,  a  table,  a  chair,  and 
a  candlestick;  it  must  have  been  exceedingly  attrac¬ 
tive  in  its  quiet  seclusion;  there  the  prophet  could 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


191 


study,  think,  and  have  repose.  He  was  naturally 
grateful,  and  on  one  occasion  he  told  his  servant 
Gehazi  to  call  the  lady  of  the  house,  and  she  soon 
stood  before  him.  He  reminded  her  of  all  her 
graceful  hospitality,  and  asked  what  he  might  do 
for  her  in  return.  Would  she  like  to  be  recom¬ 
mended  to  the  king  or  to  the  commander-in-chief? 
But  she  replied  that  she  was  contented  to  dwell  in 
her  household  with  her  numerous  friends.  The 
prophet  was  at  a  loss,  but  as  soon  as  she  had  left 
the  room  Gehazi,  who  never  lacked  assurance,  sug¬ 
gested  that  she  was  childless  and  perhaps  lonely,  as 
her  husband  was  an  old  man.  Elisha  had  her  re¬ 
called,  and  as  she  stood  in  the  doorway  he  gave  her 
the  amazing  news  that  in  one  year  hence  she  should 
hold  a  baby  boy  in  her  arms.  Like  Abraham,  she 
thought  this  was  a  pleasantry  and  was  not  alto¬ 
gether  appreciative;  but  the  next  year  she  had  her 
son. 

When  he  was  about  six  years  old,  he  went  out 
to  the  wheat-field  on  a  day  of  fierce  heat.  Suddenly 
he  cried  out  to  his  father,  “My  head!  My  head!” 
His  father  had  him  taken  home  immediately  and 
his  mother  held  him  in  her  arms  until  noon,  when 
he  died.  In  her  desperate  anguish,  she  thought  on 
the  man  of  God,  and  believed  in  his  power  even  over 
the  grave.  She  carried  the  body  up  to  the  guest 
room,  laid  it  on  the  bed,  asked  her  husband  to  send 
to  her  immediately  one  of  the  young  men,  and  to 
have  an  ass  saddled,  that  she  might  hurry  to  Elisha. 


192  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


She  mounted  the  ass,  bade  the  young  servant  drive 
and  run  alongside  as  fast  as  possible,  and  after  a 
time  they  appeared  before  the  man  of  God.  But 
he  had  seen  her  while  she  was  yet  a  great  way  off. 
He  sent  Gehazi  to  meet  her,  and  to  enquire  after 
the  health  of  the  family.  Perhaps  no  greater  in¬ 
stance  of  faith  is  recorded  than  in  her  answer. 
Gehazi  asked,  “Is  it  well  with  the  child?”  She  an¬ 
swered,  “It  is  well.” 

Then  she  fell  before  Elisha,  and  clasped  his  feet; 
and  when  Gehazi  roughly  tried  to  drag  her  away, 
the  prophet  commanded  to  let  her  alone,  for  her 
distress  was  evident.  She  breathed  out  some  inco¬ 
herent  remark  about  her  son,  and  Elisha  told  Gehazi 
to  take  his  staff  and  run  straight  to  the  lady’s  house, 
saluting  no  man  on  the  way,  and  there  to  place  the 
staff  on  the  face  of  the  child.  But  this  did  not  suit 
the  mother  at  all;  she  wanted  the  specialist,  not  his 
assistant;  so  Elisha  himself  had  to  go  back  with  her. 
Gehazi  did  as  he  was  told  and,  meeting  the  prophet 
on  his  way,  the  servant  said  ironically,  “The  child 
is  not  awaked.” 

The  man  of  God  went  into  the  room  and  shut  the 
door.  He  prayed;  he  covered  the  child  with  his 
own  warm  body,  mouth  to  mouth  and  eyes  to  eyes. 
The  rigid  little  form  grew  flexible,  the  child  sneezed 
seven  times,  opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  around  in 
bev/ilderment.  Elisha  called  for  Gehazi,  and  told 
him  to  fetch  the  mother.  As  soon  as  she  entered  the 
room,  he  said  calmly,  “Take  up  thy  son.”  She 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA  193 

bowed  down  in  rapture,  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  man 
of  God,  and  carried  away  her  boy  in  triumph. 

In  The  Ring  and  the  Book,  Browning  makes  a 
striking  reference  to  this  incident;  he  is  speaking  of 
his  own  recreation  of  a  story,  long  dead,  which  now 
is  made  to  live  again  by  the  creative  power  of 
imagination : 

Was  not  Elisha  once — 

Who  bade  them  lay  his  staff  on  a  corpse-face? 

There  was  no  voice,  no  hearing:  he  went  in, 

Therefore,  and  shut  the  door  upon  them  twain, 

And  prayed  unto  the  Lord:  and  he  went  up 
And  lay  upon  the  corpse,  dead  on  the  couch. 

And  put  his  mouth  upon  its  mouth,  his  eyes 
Upon  its  eyes,  his  hands  upon  its  hands, 

And  stretched  him  on  the  flesh;  the  flesh  waxed  warm; 
And  he  returned,  walked  to  and  fro  the  house, 

And  went  up,  stretched  him  on  the  flesh  again, 

And  the  eyes  opened.  ’Tis  a  credible  feat 
With  the  right  man  and  way. 

One  day  at  Gilgal,  while  the  sons  of  the  prophets 
were  sitting  at  his  feet  and  listening  to  his  talk,  he 
commanded  Gehazi  to  set  a  great  pot  on  the  fire 
and  boil  herbs  for  a  repast.  One  went  out  into  the 
fields  to  gather  and  unknowingly  put  poisonous  wild 
gourds  into  the  pot.  As  they  were  eating,  they  felt 
sharp  pains  and  cried,  “O  thou  man  of  God,  there 
is  death  in  the  pot.”  But  he  told  them  to  bring 
meal,  and  Elisha  cast  it  into  the  stew,  after  which 
they  ate  with  security.  Their  faith  in  him  equalled 
his  own  powers. 


194  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  story  of  Naaman  is  one  of  the  most  attrac¬ 
tive  in  the  Bible,  though  it  has  a  tragic  conclusion. 
Naaman  was  commander-in-chief  of  the  Syrian 
forces,  and  a  favourite  of  the  king,  because  of  his 
ability,  wisdom,  and  valour;  but  he  was  cursed  with 
leprosy.  A  little  Jewish  maid,  brought  to  the  court 
as  a  captive,  was  in  attendance  on  Naaman’s  wife, 
and  one  day  as  she  was  brushing  the  hair  of  her 
mistress  she  became  garrulous  and  prattled  about 
the  leprosy  and  how  she  knew  a  great  doctor  in 
Samaria  who  could  cure  it.  The  story  came  to  the 
ears  of  the  Syrian  monarch,  who  sent  Naaman  to 
the  king  of  Israel,  with  magnificent  gifts  and  a  letter 
which  requested  the  monarch  to  cure  Naaman.  The 
king  of  Israel  was  both  surprised  and  dismayed 
when  he  read  this  letter.  He  tore  his  clothes;  he 
shrieked,  “Am  I  God,  to  kill  and  to  make  alive? 
The  purpose  of  this  letter  is  to  pick  a  quarrel.”  But 
Elisha,  hearing  of  what  had  happened,  sent  word 
to  the  king  that  there  was  no  cause  for  distress,  and 
suggested  that  Naaman  come  in  person  and  he 
would  learn  something  to  his  advantage. 

Accordingly,  the  mighty  Naaman,  with  his  horses 
and  his  chariots  and  his  splendid  retinue,  came  and 
stood  before  the  portal  of  Elisha’s  house,  like  a 
modern  millionaire  coming  to  a  specialist.  Elisha 
did  not  trouble  himself  to  come  to  the  door  or  to 
look  out  of  the  window,  but  sent  Gehazi  to  tell 
Naaman  to  go  and  bathe  seven  times  in  the  river 
Jordan.  Naaman  was  not  accustomed  to  take  or- 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


195 


ders  from  anyone  except  the  king  of  Syria ;  his  pride 
had  already  been  irritated  by  being  passed  along 
from  the  king  of  Israel  to  someone  else;  he  had  at 
least  supposed  that  the  doctor  would  come  out  and 
perform  solemn  and  mystic  rites.  Furthermore, 
what  was  the  tiny  stream  of  Jordan  compared  to 
the  broad  rivers  of  Damascus?  He  turned  away  in 
a  rage. 

Then  one  of  his  servants — Naaman  was  certainly 
fortunate  in  his  servants — taking  his  courage  in  both 
hands,  mildly  suggested  that  if  the  prophet  had  bade 
him  go  through  some  long  and  tiresome  regimen, 
he  would  have  obeyed;  how  much  better  merely  to 
wash  and  be  clean.  Naaman  was  impressed.  He 
went  to  the  banks  of  Jordan,  and  dipped  six  times 
with  no  result.  How  sceptically,  how  hopelessly 
he  must  have  plunged  in  the  seventh  time !  But  to 
his  amazement  his  hot,  dry,  diseased  skin  changed 
into  the  fresh,  soft,  clear  skin  of  a  little  child,  and 
he  was  clean.  With  what  unspeakable  delight  he 
came  up  out  of  the  water! 

With  all  his  followers  he  returned  to  the  house  of 
the  man  of  God  and  Elisha  looked  upon  him  gra¬ 
ciously.  Naaman  said  exactly  the  thing  the  prophet 
hoped  he  would  say:  “Now  I  know  that  there  is  no 
God  in  all  the  earth  but  in  Israel.”  Then  he  nat¬ 
urally  tried  to  induce  Elisha  to  accept  a  fee,  which 
was  firmly  refused,  though  Naaman  was  very  per¬ 
sistent.  Finally,  he  asked  for  a  load  of  earth  to  take 
back  to  Syria,  for  he  meant  henceforth  to  worship 


196  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Jehovah,  and  to  offer  burnt  offerings  on  this  hal¬ 
lowed  soil. 

Naaman  was  a  gentleman  and  did  not  wish  to  fail 
in  his  loyalty  to  his  king,  though  he  had  quite  ceased 
to  believe  in  his  country’s  religion.  He  therefore 
put  a  delicate  question  of  religious  etiquette  before 
Elisha.  It  appeared  that  when  the  king  went  into 
the  house  of  Rimmon  to  worship,  he  always  leaned 
on  the  arm  of  Naaman,  and  they  bowed  down  to¬ 
gether  before  the  god.  Naaman  explained  that  he 
himself  could  not  now  believe  in  this  worship,  but 
that  he  did  not  want  to  make  an  unpleasant  scene. 
Would  it  be  proper,  therefore,  for  him  to  show 
formal  respect  in  the  house  of  Rimmon  by  bowing 
the  knee,  while  in  his  heart  remaining  faithful  to 
Jehovah?  Elisha  showed  both  common  sense  and 
courtesy  in  instantly  reassuring  the  honest  warrior — 
“Go  in  peace.” 

(It  was  good  advice.  If  I  were  in  a  temple  of 
Buddha,  or  in  a  place  of  Mohammedan  worship,  I 
hope  I  should  show  the  proper  respect  and  rever¬ 
ence,  though  Buddha  and  Mohammed  are  no  more 
divine  to  me  than  Thor  or  Apollo.) 

The  pretty  story  of  Naaman  does  not  have  a 
happy  ending.  The  horror  of  its  close  takes  us  un¬ 
awares.  Gehazi  had  been  a  silent  spectator  of  Naa- 
man’s  offer  of  reward  and  his  master’s  refusal;  what 
an  idiot  to  let  such  an  opportunity  pass !  He  fol¬ 
lowed  after  the  chariot  of  Naaman;  the  mighty  man 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


197 


alighted  in  rare  good  humour  and  asked  if  there 
was  anything  he  could  do.  Gehazi  said  that  two 
divinity  students  had  just  called  on  Elisha,  and  that 
his  master  would  be  pleased  if  Naaman  would  send 
back  some  money  and  clothing  for  them.  It  was  a 
skilful  lie,  and  the  Syrian,  only  too  delighted  to 
show  his  gratitude,  gave  Gehazi  double  what  he 
asked.  The  servant  hid  the  stolen  goods,  and  stood 
before  his  master,  who  asked  sternly  where  he  had 
been.  Gehazi  said  he  had  not  gone  out.  Elisha 
informed  him  that  he  had  seen  the  whole  transaction 
as  clearly  in  his  mind  as  if  he  had  been  present  in 
person.  “Now,  Gehazi,  you  are  rich,  and  can  buy 
all  manner  of  real  and  personal  property,  and  can 
have  servants  to  do  your  bidding.  But  the  leprosy 
that  has  left  Naaman  shall  abide  with  you  and  your 
descendants  forever.”  Gehazi  said  not  a  word;  the 
pallor  of  fright  blanched  into  the  horrible  pallor 
of  disease.  And  he  went  out  from  his  presence  a 
leper  as  white  as  snow. 

I  do  not  think  any  man,  woman,  or  child  has  ever 
read  that  tragic  sentence  without  terror. 

Not  only  did  Elisha  perform  great  miracles,  such 
as  bringing  the  dead  back  from  their  slumber,  and 
miracles  on  a  large  scale,  dealing  with  vast  numbers, 
but  he  was  not  averse  to  the  employment  of  his 
powers  for  any  little  deed  of  kindness.  Perhaps 
constant  exercise  was  necessary,  and  it  was  impor¬ 
tant  to  keep  in  practice.  Once  upon  a  time  the 
divinity  students  came  to  him  and  said  that  the 


198  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


theological  building  which  they  occupied  had  become 
too  small  for  their  needs.  They  requested  permis¬ 
sion  to  go  to  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  cut  down 
timber,  and  build  there  a  substantial  and  spacious 
dormitory.  He  consented  and  even  accompanied 
them  thither.  As  one  of  the  young  men  was  felling 
a  beam,  he  hit  with  all  his  might,  and  the  axe-head 
flew  off  the  handle  and  into  the  river.  He  cried  out 
in  dismay,  for  he  had  borrowed  the  axe,  and  proba¬ 
bly  could  not  afford  to  buy  another.  Elisha  asked 
him  to  point  out  the  exact  place  where  the  metal  had 
sunk  in  the  stream;  then  the  prophet  took  a  stick, 
tossed  it  on  the  water,  and  the  iron  head  of  the  axe 
rose  like  a  trout  to  a  fly.  The  young  man  reached 
out  and  secured  it,  with  what  surprise  and  pleasure 
may  be  easily  imagined. 

Elisha  was  worth  more  to  the  king  of  Israel  in 
war-time  than  a  thousand  generals;  for  whenever 
the  Syrians  planned  an  ambush  or  a  night  attack, 
the  seer,  by  an  admirable  system  of  mind-reading, 
revealed  everything  to  the  king.  Naturally  the  king 
of  Syria  believed  there  was  a  traitor  in  his  own 
camp,  and  he  made  strenuous  efforts  to  discover  his 
identity.  But  one  of  his  courtiers,  who  knew  the 
common  gossip,  told  him  that  when  he  lay  in  bed 
thinking,  his  thoughts  were  revealed  to  the  king  of 
Israel  by  Elisha.  Spies  were  sent  out,  who  brought 
back  word  that  the  man  of  God  was  in  Dothan. 
Accordingly  in  the  night  a  whole  division  was  sent 
against  the  town;  and  in  the  morning  light,  when 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


199 


Elisha  and  his  servant  walked  forth,  they  saw  the 
city  encompassed  with  horses  and  chariots  and 
armed  men.  The  servant  trembled,  and  said:  “Alas, 
my  master,  what  shall  we  do?”  The  answer  came 
with  calm  assurance:  “Fear  not:  for  they  that  be 
with  us  are  more  than  they  that  be  with  them.”  AH 
the  imponderable  forces  were  on  the  side  of  the  man 
of  God,  but  it  was  natural  that  the  young  attendant 
could  not  see  them.  Those  who  are  close  to  God 
undoubtedly  see  visions  that  are  completely  out  of 
the  range  of  the  children  of  this  world.  Spiritual 
realities  are  sometimes  hidden  even  from  the  wise 
and  prudent;  but  they  are  nevertheless  there.  Elisha 
prayed  that  the  young  man  might  for  once  see  what 
he  himself  saw;  and  to  his  astonished  gaze  the 
mountains  were  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire, 
round  about,  compared  to  which  the  glittering  host 
of  the  Syrians  was  both  dull  and  puny.  As  the 
servant’s  eyes  were  opened,  the  eyes  of  the  Syrians 
were  blinded;  so  that  Elisha  walked  boldly  to  their 
leaders,  told  them  that  he  would  bring  them  directly 
to  the  man  they  sought,  and  he  did;  he  led  them 
into  the  heart  of  the  city  of  Samaria;  there  they 
received  sight,  and  to  their  bewilderment  found 
themselves  in  the  enemy’s  capital.  The  king  of 
Israel  hated  to  let  such  a  chance  slip,  and  said 
eagerly  to  Elisha,  “My  father,  shall  I  smite  them? 
Shall  I  smite  them?”  But  Elisha  refused  to  allow 
such  treachery;  instead  of  smiting  them,  he  bade  the 
Israelites  give  them  a  fine  dinner,  and  they  returned 


200  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


to  their  king  with  the  amazing  story.  The  result 
was  a  long  peace. 

What  a  pity  that  this  method  has  not  been  more 
frequently  adopted!  To  receive  an  enemy  with  hos¬ 
pitable  kindness  is  to  disarm  him.  How  the  soldiers 
of  the  two  hostile  camps  must  have  fraternised  as 
the  food  and  drink  were  served!  If  invading  hosts 
could  be  invited  to  dinner,  it  is  possible  that  much 
loss  and  suffering  could  be  averted.  If  thine  enemy 
hunger,  feed  him.  Plain  common  sense. 

Later,  Benhadad,  the  king  of  Syria,  laid  siege  to 
Samaria,  with  the  result  that  has  been  so  often  re¬ 
peated  in  history.  The  price  of  provisions  rose  to 
such  a  height  that  a  little  dung  was  sold  for  much 
silver,  and  unnatural  tragedies  became  common.  As 
the  king  of  Israel  was  walking  along  the  wall,  a 
woman  cried  out  for  justice.  It  appeared  that  she 
and  another  woman  had  compacted  to  eat  their 
babies;  she  had  boiled  hers  in  good  faith;  both  had 
shared  in  the  repast;  and  now  the  other  woman 
would  not  play  fair,  and  had  hidden  her  son.  When 
the  king  heard  this  dreadful  story,  which  excited  the 
attention  of  a  listening  crowd,  he  tore  his  clothes  in 
horror  and  despair;  and  as  the  people  gazed  at  his 
parted  garments  they  saw  that  he  was  wearing  sack¬ 
cloth  next  his  skin. 

Suddenly  the  king  thought  of  Elisha,  and  in  his 
frenzy  he  determined  to  kill  him,  for  he  believed 
that  all  this  suffering  came  from  Jehovah.  He  sent 
a  messenger  to  Elisha’s  house,  and  followed  hard 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


201 


after.  Now  Elisha  was  sitting  within,  surrounded 
by  the  elders;  he  told  them  that  they  would  soon 
hear  the  murderer’s  knock  on  the  door,  but  not  to 
let  him  in  until  the  king  appeared.  Close  behind 
the  servant  came  the  king  himself,  leaning  on  the 
arm  of  a  noble;  but  before  the  king  could  open  his 
mouth,  Elisha  predicted  that  the  next  day  rich  and 
plenteous  provisions  would  be  sold  cheaply  in  the 
very  gate  of  Samaria,  a  peck  of  fine  meal  for  a  piece 
of  silver  and  two  pecks  of  barley  for  the  same  price. 
Unfortunately  for  his  future  welfare,  the  lord  ac¬ 
companying  the  king  sneered,  and  suggested  that  if 
Jehovah  would  conveniently  provide  windows  in 
heaven,  this  event  might  come  to  pass.  Elisha 
looked  at  him  coldly  and  replied,  “Thou  shalt  see  it 
with  thine  eyes,  but  shalt  not  eat  thereof.” 

Four  lepers  outside  the  gate  took  counsel  to¬ 
gether,  and  seeing  no  hope  within  or  without  the 
city,  and  being  in  that  reckless  state  of  mind  that  is 
sometimes  characteristic  of  those  suffering  from  an 
incurable  disease,  hit  upon  the  wild  plan  of  going 
directly  into  the  enemy’s  camp  and  asking  for  food, 
for  the  bitterness  of  death  was  past.  There  they 
found  signs  of  a  panic;  the  Syrians  had  imagined 
that  they  heard  the  noise  of  advancing  armies,  and 
had  fled  in  such  confusion  as  to  leave  provisions  and 
jewels  in  abundance.  This  was  a  great  night  for  the 
lepers,  the  best  the  poor  wretches  had  ever  known; 
they  feasted  prodigiously,  hid  costly  gems,  and  then 
returned  to  the  gates  of  Samaria  before  dawn  and 


202  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


roused  the  porters.  There  was  a  mad  rush  to  the 
Syrian  camp,  and  as  the  sceptical  lord  happened  to 
have  charge  of  the  gate,  the  mob  in  their  wild  fury 
for  food  rushed  right  over  him;  he  was  trodden 
under  foot,  and  died,  according  to  the  word  of  the 
prophet. 

The  last  days  of  Elisha  were  clouded  by  the  ruin 
of  Israel,  which  he  knew  to  be  imminent;  foreign 
conquest  and  civil  war  were  both  to  devastate  the 
land. 

It  should  be  remembered  again  that  it  was  Judah, 
and  not  Israel,  that  kept  alive  the  Mosaic  law  and 
the  true  Hebrew  religion;  the  northern  tribes  of 
Israel  were  apostate,  and  under  the  leadership  of 
their  abominable  kings,  following  in  the  wake  of 
Jeroboam,  and  led  wholly  astray  by  Ahab,  from 
whose  rule  the  country  never  recovered,  their  apos¬ 
tasy  became  so  general  that  the  true  faith  was  al¬ 
most  extinguished.  When  we  speak  of  the  Hebrew 
religion  as  it  has  come  down  to  us,  we  really  mean 
Judaism .  Jerusalem  lasted  longer  than  Israel,  but 
succumbed  to  Assyria  at  last. 

The  history  of  Israel,  beginning  with  the  reign 
of  Ahab,  is  worse  than  a  decline;  it  is  symbolised 
by  a  rudderless  boat  on  a  rushing  river,  running 
toward  irretrievable  disaster  with  constantly  acceler¬ 
ating  speed  until  the  roar  of  the  drowning  cataract 
is  heard. 

Elisha  saw  this  as  plainly  as  if  it  had  already 
happened,  and  his  heart  died  in  his  breast;  for  he 
loved  his  country.  He  loved  his  country  with  a 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


203 


love  unknown  to  noisy  patriots;  he  spoke  bitterly 
against  the  national  vices  and  sins,  he  condemned 
the  government  and  the  rulers;  if  he  had  been  indif¬ 
ferent  to  the  nation’s  welfare  he  would  have  re¬ 
mained  silent.  Often  those  who  speak  out  most 
strongly  against  a  national  policy  are  filled  with  a 
love  of  their  country  so  much  greater  than  that  of 
jingo  orators  that  their  passion  for  the  fatherland 
is  quite  beyond  the  common  understanding.  This  is 
nevertheless  one  of  the  highest  forms  of  patriotism. 

Why  Elisha  journeyed  to  Damascus  we  do  not 
know;  but  there  he  was,  and  Benhadad,  the  king  of 
Syria,  confined  to  his  bed  with  sickness,  heard  of 
his  presence,  and  having  a  wholesome  respect  for 
him,  sent  a  messenger  with  forty  camels  laden  down 
with  gifts,  to  ask  the  prophet  if  he  should  recover 
of  this  disease.  The  messenger  was  Hazael,  who, 
like  Macbeth,  did  not  dream  of  the  evil  in  his  own 
heart.  Elisha  told  him  that  Benhadad  would  surely 
die.  When  Elisha  had  said  this,  he  gazed  into 
Hazael’s  face  with  such  steadfast  and  searching 
scrutiny  that  the  bold  messenger  became  embar¬ 
rassed.  .  Suddenly  the  man  of  God  burst  into  tears. 

Perhaps  no  one  ever  had  more  self-control  than 
Elisha.  This  only  recorded  occasion  when  he  wept 
unrestrainedly  is  therefore  highly  significant.  Ha¬ 
zael  asked,  “Why  weepeth  my  lord?” 

Because  I  know  the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  unto  the  children 
of  Israel:  their  strongholds  wilt  thou  set  on  fire,  and  their 
young  men  wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword,  and  wilt  dash  their 
children,  and  rip  up  their  women  with  child. 


204  HUMAN  NATURE’ IN  THE  BIBEE 


And  Hazael  said,  But  what,  is  thy  servant  a  dog,  that  he 
should  do  this  great  thing? 

How  many  youths  would  feel  insulted  if  some  one 
should  tell  them  in  advance  of  all  the  evil  deeds 
they  would  perform  during  their  lives!  Perhaps 
their  amazement  would  be  greater  than  their  resent¬ 
ment.  “What,  do  you  take  me  for  a  beast?”  The 
answer  is,  “Yes:  the  very  things  from  which  you 
now  recoil  in  horror,  and  loudly  condemn  in  others, 
you  yourself  will  do.” 

Hazael  did  not  know  his  own  mind,  having  never 
explored  it.  The  next  day,  smitten  with  ambition, 
he  assassinated  the  sick  king  by  smothering  him  with 
a  wet  cloth,  and  thus  succeeded  him  on  the  throne 
of  Syria. 

Joram,  the  son  of  Ahab,  was  king  of  Israel;  he 
fought  against  Hazael,  lost  the  battle,  was  griev¬ 
ously  wounded,  and  returned  to  Jezreel  to  recover. 
There  he  was  visited  by  Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah. 
Elisha  sent  a  divinity  student  to  Captain  Jehu,  tell¬ 
ing  him  to  anoint  the  captain  as  king  of  Israel;  then 
to  open  the  door  and  run  away  as  fast  as  his  legs 
could  carry  him.  Jehu  was  at  mess  with  the  other 
officers,  and  they  were  naturally  curious  when  the 
excited  messenger  sought  a  private  interview  with 
him.  No  sooner  had  he  returned  to  the  room  than 
they  asked  him,  “Wherefore  came  this  mad  fellow 
to  thee?”  Captain  Jehu  told  them  the  truth;  with 
one  accord  they  rallied  around  him,  blew  trumpets, 
and  announced  the  revolution. 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


205 


Jehu  was  a  man  of  war — hardy,  resolute,  and  im¬ 
petuous  as  fire.  He  was  known  everywhere  for  his 
daring  adventures,  and  for  his  reckless  driving.  As 
his  chariot  drew  near  to  the  walls  of  Jezreel,  in 
which  city  were  the  two  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah, 
he  was  seen  afar  off  by  the  watchman  on  the  tower. 
By  the  order  of  King  Joram,  first  one  messenger 
and  then  another  were  sent  out;  but  they  did  not 
return.  By  this  time  the  approaching  chariot  was 
very  near,  and  the  watchman  said  to  his  king,  “The 
driving  is  like  the  driving  of  Jehu  the  son  of 
Nimshi;  for  he  driveth  furiously.” 

Then  Joram  knew  his  hour  had  struck;  both  he 
and  Ahaziah  went  out  to  meet  the  captain,  and  they 
encountered  him  in  that  very  garden  of  Naboth 
which  Joram’s  father  had  stolen.  When  they  came 
within  earshot  Joram  cried,  “Is  it  peace,  Jehu?” 
and  Jehu  replied  by  calling  his  mother  Jezebel  a 
vile  name.  Joram  wheeled  his  chariot  about,  to 
escape;  but  Jehu  drew  a  bow  with  his  full  strength, 
the  arrow  transfixed  Joram,  and  he  died  in  the  por¬ 
tion  of  land  that  had  been  stolen  from  Naboth. 

Then  Ahaziah  fled  by  way  of  the  garden  house, 
but  Jehu  was  out  king-hunting  that  day,  and  the  re¬ 
treating  monarch  of  Judah  was  slain  in  his  chariot. 

Long  ago,  Elijah  had  foretold  the  death  of  Jeze¬ 
bel;  she  had  survived  her  husband,  had  now  lived 
to  see  her  son  assassinated,  and  knew  that  she  and 
the  whole  race  of  Ahab  were  to  be  exterminated. 
But  it  is  impossible  to  withhold  admiration  for  the 


206  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


manner  in  which  this  iron-hearted  queen  met  her 
fate.  She  had  been  the  wife  of  Ahab,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  a  king.  She  was  high-bred,  and  showed 
no  fear,  but  only  defiance,  as  the  revolutionary 
chieftain  approached.  She  painted  her  face  and 
adorned  her  head,  as  if  for  a  state  occasion,  and 
looked  out  from  an  upper  window.  As  Jehu,  flushed 
with  tasting  blood,  entered  the  palace  yard,  she 
greeted  him  with  a  taunt,  reminding  him  that  he  was 
nothing  but  a  traitor  and  a  foul  cutthroat.  Jehu 
called  aloud;  some  servants  looked  out  of  the  win¬ 
dows,  and  Jehu  commanded  them  to  throw  her 
down.  She  was  hurled  to  the  ground,  and  Jehu 
drove  furiously  over  her  prostrate  body.  He  then 
went  in  to  eat,  but  looking  up  from  the  table,  he 
gave  orders  to  bury  the  accursed  woman,  “for  she 
is  a  king’s  daughter.”  The  attendants  found  noth¬ 
ing  but  a  few  bones ;  the  dogs  had  already  devoured 
her,  as  had  been  long  since  foretold  by  Elijah  the 
Tishbite. 

Jehu  was  not  satisfied  with  having  killed  two 
kings  and  a  queen  in  one  expedition;  he  sent  word 
to  Samaria,  and  had  the  heads  of  Ahab’s  seventy 
sons,  every  head  in  a  separate  basket,  brought  to 
him.  He  then  gave  orders  which  resulted  in  the 
destruction  of  every  relative  of  Ahab’s  family,  so 
that  the  whole  house  perished  from  the  earth. 
These  were  bloody  days.  Jehu  was  determined  to 
clean  house  and  after  he  had  slaughtered  every  rela¬ 
tive  and  servant  of  Ahab,  he  killed  all  the  priests 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA  207 

of  Baal  and  turned  their  temple  into  a  public  con¬ 
venience. 

Yet,  after  all  this  holy  zeal,  King  Jehu  departed 
from  the  worship  of  Jehovah  and  set  up  a  golden 
calf.  He  was  like  average  humanity  in  being  part 
good  and  part  evil;  the  reign  of  this  man  of  violence 
lasted  twenty-eight  years,  and  he  died  in  his  bed. 

After  the  death  of  Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah,  who 
was  killed  by  Jehu,  his  mother  Athaliah — a  desper¬ 
ately  wicked  woman — slew  all  the  seed  royal,  except 
Jehoash,  who  was  hidden  by  his  aunt.  Athaliah 
reigned  six  years,  thinking  she  was  secure ;  when  one 
day  young  Jehoash  was  suddenly  brought  out  in 
public  and  crowned  by  Jehoiada  the  priest.  The 
people  clapped  their  hands  and  shouted,  God  save 
the  king!  Athaliah  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpets 
and  the  voices  of  the  multitude,  and  came  out  of 
the  palace,  where,  to  her  amazement,  she  saw  her 
living  grandson  receiving  public  homage.  Athaliah 
rent  her  clothes  and  cried  Treason ,  Treason — but 
those  were  her  last  words,  and  Jehoash  became  king 
of  Judah. 

Racine  wrote  a  play  about  this  royal  adventuress, 
as  he  did  of  Esther;  but  even  his  genius  failed  to 
equal  in  force  the  language  of  the  Bible. 

Jehoahaz  the  son  of  Jehu  succeeded  his  father 
on  the  throne  of  Israel,  and  was  constantly  humili¬ 
ated  by  the  victorious  Hazael,  king  of  Syria,  so  that 
only  a  remnant  of  power  was  left  to  the  nation.  It 
was  during  the  reign  of  Joash,  the  son  of  Jehoahaz, 


208  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


that  Elisha  fell  into  his  last  sickness.  He  was  old 
and  full  of  honours,  universally  respected;  King 
Joash  paid  a  visit  in  person  to  his  bedside.  When 
he  entered  the  room  and  saw  the  once  haughty 
prophet  lying  helpless  on  his  bed,  the  king  wept  and 
repeated  the  words  that  Elisha  had  cried  out  to  the 
departing  Elijah:  uO  my  father,  my  father,  the 
chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof!” 

The  dying  prophet  commanded  the  king  to  take 
bow  and  arrows,  and  fling  wide  open  a  window  to 
the  east.  Then  when  Joash  had  drawn  back  the 
bowstring,  Elisha  raised  himself  up  in  bed  and 
placed  his  hand  on  the  hand  of  the  king,  and  said 
“Shoot.”  The  arrow  flew  far  away  in  the  direction 
of  the  land  of  Syria,  and  Elisha  told  Joash  it  was 
a  symbol  of  deliverance  from  the  ever-threatening 
peril.  Then  he  told  the  monarch  to  smite  the  floor 
with  arrows ;  and  he  smote  three  times  and  stopped. 
The  old  prophet  was  angry,  and  said  he  had  stopped 
too  soon;  if  he  had  struck  five  or  six  times,  he  would 
have  completely  beaten  the  Syrian  forces.  Now  he 
should  enjoy  only  three  victories. 

The  prophet’s  anger  has  always  seemed  to  me 
unreasonable;  how  was  the  poor  king  to  know  the 
number  of  times  he  should  smite  the  floor?  But 
I  suppose  Elisha  meant  him  to  keep  on  striking  until 
he  should  hear  the  command  to  desist;  or  perhaps 
he  struck  the  floor  without  any  conviction,  thinking 
it  was  just  a  dying  man’s  whim,  and  humouring  him 


THE  PROPHET  ELISHA 


209 


as  we  humour  those  who  are  very  sick.  He  had 
cause  later  to  regret  it. 

Elisha  died,  and  long  after  his  death,  when  noth¬ 
ing  remained  of  him  but  dry  bones,  his  skeleton  had 
such  vitality  that  a  corpse,  being  let  down  into  the 
same  grave,  happened  to  touch  the  dusty  remains  of 
the  prophet;  and  to  the  astonishment  of  the  mourn¬ 
ers,  the  dead  man  sprang  out  of  the  tomb.  There 
was  no  danger  that  Elisha  would  ever  be  forgotten. 

Benjamin  Franklin  once  said,  “If  the  people  are 
as  bad  as  they  are  with  religion,  what  would  they 
be  without  it?”  Thus,  considering  how  evil  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  Israel  were  under  the  constant  admonitions, 
warnings,  and  mighty  deeds  of  Elisha,  what  would 
they  have  been  without  his  presence?  All  nations, 
I  suppose,  have  been  destroyed  from  within;  the  neg¬ 
lect  of  religion  and  morality  has  set  many  proud 
empires  on  the  slope  to  ruin.  Yet  even  in  the 
darkest  days,  when  doom  is  certain,  there  has  always 
been  some  witness  to  the  power  of  truth  and  right¬ 
eousness;  some  man  who  has  not  surrendered  to  the 
gods  of  folly  and  selfishness.  Such  a  tower  was  the 
prophet  Elisha;  he  was  like  a  tall  lighthouse  on  a 
dark  night;  he  blazed  out  the  truth  faithfully,  and 
it  was  not  his  fault  when  the  ship  of  state  went  on 
the  rocks. 


IX 

THE  DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH 

THE  PATRIOTIC  STORIES  OF  DANIEL 
AND  ESTHER 


Reasons  for  the  Loss  of  Empires — Social  Life  in  Israel 
and  in  Judah — The  Good  King  Hezekiah — The  De¬ 
struction  of  Sennacherib — Byron  s  Poem — Sickness  and 
Prayer  of  Hezekiah — The  Prophet  Isaiah — H  ezekiah's 
Magnificent  Poem  on  Life  and  Death — Louis  XV — 
The  Evil  Reign  of  Manasseh — Renaissance  of  Moral¬ 
ity  Under  the  Good  Boy  Josiah — His  Zeal  as  a  Re¬ 
former — Last  Days  of  Judah — The  Conquest  and 
Captivity — The  Brilliant  Youth  Daniel — His  Three 
Friends — Their  Independence — Daniel  the  First  Vege¬ 
tarian — Daniel  the  P sycho-analyst~The  Mediums — 
The  D  ream  and  Interpretation — The  Fiery  Furnace — 
The  Three  Salamanders — The  King  Eats  Grass — Bel¬ 
shazzar's  Feast — The  Writing — Daniel  and  the  Den 
of  Lions — Patriotic  Emphasis  in  Daniel  and  in  Es¬ 
ther — Independence  of  Pashti — Selection  of  Esther — 
Proud  Mordecai  the  Jew — The  Pompous  Haman  and 
His  Fate — Insomnia  of  the  King — The  Whirligig  of 
Time  Brings  in  His  Revenges — Grand  Patriotic  Con¬ 
clusion 


IX 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH 

THE  PATRIOTIC  STORIES  OF  DANIEL 

AND  ESTHER 

When  the  moral  law  is  continually  broken,  either 
by  individuals,  communities,  or  nations,  a  false  secu¬ 
rity  may  last  for  a  time,  illusory  as  sin  itself;  but 
sooner  or  later  evil  conduct  is  followed  by  evil  re¬ 
sults,  as  certainly  as  winter  follows  autumn.  Na¬ 
tions  that  put  their  confidence  in  the  gods  of  iron 
and  steel  rather  than  in  the  God  of  Truth  and 
Righteousness,  are  doomed.  Both  the  Old  and  the 
New  Testament  point  out  the  path  of  true  national 
glory. 

“In  God  We  Trust”  is  a  better  national  motto 
than  “America  First.” 

The  Israelites,  who  had  entered  Canaan  so 
proudly  under  Captain  Joshua,  who  had  triumphed 
repeatedly  under  King  David,  were  utterly  humili¬ 
ated  by  Assyria.  After  a  siege  of  three  years,  the 
city  of  Samaria  was  taken  and  the  Assyrians  carried 
away  the  inhabitants  into  captivity;  it  is  worth  re¬ 
membering,  in  justice  to  these  heathen,  that  they 

213 


214  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


treated  their  conquered  foes  more  humanely  than 
Israel  had  behaved  toward  the  cities  they  had  over¬ 
come.  They  placed  garrisons  in  many  Hebrew 
towns,  and  it  must  have  been  a  strange  sight  to  see 
the  men  and  women  from  faraway  Babylon  dwell¬ 
ing  like  a  superior  race  in  Israel. 

The  social  life  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  so  much 
better  than  the  standard  of  morality  farther  north 
that  Jerusalem  was  able  to  keep  back  the  invaders 
for  many  years;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  one 
thoroughly  bad  king,  Manasseh,  Judah  might  never 
have  succumbed.  Then,  as  in  European  history, 
fashions  in  character  and  religion  were  set  by  the 
king. 

Everyone  who  is  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
modern  Europe  and  America,  everyone  who  is  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  welfare  of  the  white  race,  will  find 
valuable  material  for  thought  in  reading  the  Second 
Book  of  the  Kings.  Human  nature  has  not  changed, 
neither  has  the  law  of  causation.  When  a  nation 
loses  its  soul,  it  becomes  vulnerable  to  foreign  at¬ 
tack.  Nor  is  there,  from  the  world  point  of  view, 
much  to  regret  in  the  results  of  such  weakness,  how¬ 
ever  regrettable  the  weakness  itself  may  be.  A 
nation  that  has  lost  its  soul  does  not  deserve  power. 

The  moral  life  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah  fluctuated 
according  to  the  standards  of  character  followed  by 
her  rulers;  during  the  last  century  before  the  fall 
of  Jerusalem  there  were  bad  kings  and  good  kings. 
Among  the  latter,  two  fine  specimens  of  royalty 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  215 

stand  out  in  bold  relief — Hezekiah  and  the  good 
boy  Josiah.  The  old  faith  shone  brightly  again  in 
these  two  reigns,  all  the  brighter  by  reason  of  the 
following  darkness.  During  the  rule  of  Hezekiah, 
a  prophet  arose  whose  influence  on  literature  and  on 
conduct  has  been  immeasurably  powerful.  His  name 
is  Isaiah. 

It  was  during  Hezekiah’s  reign  in  Judah  that 
Samaria  fell  before  the  Assyrian  besiegers,  and  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  fell  with  it.  Sennacherib,  the 
king  of  Assyria,  also  invaded  Judah,  and  Hezekiah 
was  forced  to  pay  him  an  enormous  indemnity;  but 
later,  a  successful  rebellion  was  organised  and  car¬ 
ried  through.  The  Assyrians  came  down  and  laid 
siege  to  Jerusalem  with  an  immense  army,  and  Rab- 
shakeh,  their  emissary,  made  a  long  speech,  counsell¬ 
ing  the  inhabitants  to  surrender,  because,  said  he, 
Sennacherib  is  invincible.  He  ridiculed  the  God  of 
Judah  and  pointed  out  to  the  people  what  had  be¬ 
come  of  all  the  other  nations  who  had  fought 
against  Assyria  and  who  had  trusted  in  their  gods. 

This  speech  of  Rabshakeh’s  is  remarkable;  it  is 
exactly  the  kind  of  talk  one  so  often  hears,  the  talk 
of  the  “practical”  men  in  ridicule  of  ideals.  What 
good  will  it  do  you  to  trust  in  God  if  I  take  away 
your  money  and  provisions?  He  was  a  plain  fight¬ 
ing  man  who  believed  that  if  one  had  superior  arma¬ 
ments  one  was  bound  to  win.  Spiritual  forces  were 
to  him  meaningless. 

Rabshakeh  had  learned  the  Hebrew  language, 


216  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


and  when  he  met  the  diplomats  of  Hezekiah  in  front 
of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  they  begged  him  to  talk 
Aramaic,  so  that  the  people  on  the  walls  could  not 
hear.  They  desired  secret  diplomacy.  But  the 
clever  Rabshakeh  particularly  wished  the  famine¬ 
suffering  men  and  women  on  the  walls  to  hear  what 
he  had  to  say,  so  he  spoke  fair  words  in  a  loud 
voice,  and  in  the  Hebrew  tongue.  He  advised  them 
not  to  hearken  to  Hezekiah,  but  to  rise  in  revolt, 
open  the  gates,  and  surrender  Jerusalem  to  him,  and 
after  a  time  he  would  lead  them  away 

to  a  land  like  your  own  land,  a  land  of  corn  2nd  wine,  a  land 
of  bread  and  vineyards,  a  land  of  olive  oil  and  of  honey,  that 
ye  may  live  and  not  die:  and  hearken  not  unto  Hezekiah,  when 
he  persuadeth  you,  saying,  The  Lord  will  deliver  us. 

Hath  any  of  the  gods  of  the  nations  delivered  at  all  his  land 
out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria? 

Where  are  the  gods  of  Hamath,  and  of  Arpad?  Where  are 
the  gods  of  Sepharvaim,  Hena,  and  Ivah?  Have  they  delivered 
Samaria  out  of  thine  hand? 

Who  are  they  among  all  the  gods  of  the  countries,  that  have 
delivered  their  country  out  of  mine  hand,  that  the  Lord  should 
deliver  Jerusalem  out  of  mine  hand? 

The  splendid  discipline  of  the  good  King  Heze¬ 
kiah  is  shown  in  the  reception  that  greeted  these 
line  speeches : 

But  the  people  held  their  peace,  and  answered  him  not  a 
word:  for  the  king’s  commandment  was,  saying,  Answer  him 
not. 

Hezekiah  took  counsel  of  Isaiah,  the  man  of  God, 
who  first  appears  in  history  at  this  crisis;  Isaiah 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  217 

bade  him  be  of  good  courage,  for  the  Assyrians 
were  to  be  destroyed  and  the  mighty  King  Senna¬ 
cherib  assassinated.  Furthermore,  the  doom  would 
fall  upon  them  in  precisely  the  manner  that  would 
be  most  convincing,  both  to  them  and  to  Judah,  that 
the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.  “I  will  put  my 
hook  in  thy  nose,  and  my  bridle  in  thy  lips,  and  I 
will  turn  thee  back  by  the  way  by  which  thou 
earnest.” 

That  night  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand 
in  the  Assyrian  host  were  smitten  with  sudden  death. 
Sennacherib  decided  that  the  location  was  unhealthy 
and  departed  to  Nineveh,  when  one  fine  day,  as  he 
was  publicly  worshipping  his  particular  little  god, 
he  was  stabbed  to  death  by  his  own  sons. 

As  everyone  ought  to  know,  Byron’s  lyrical  poems 
called  Hebrew  Melodies  are  interesting  and  melo¬ 
dious  versions  of  Old  Testament  stories.  One  of 
the  most  famous  is  The  Destruction  of  Sennacherib. 

The  Assyrian  came  down  like  the  wolf  on  the  fold, 

And  his  cohorts  were  gleaming  in  purple  and  gold ; 

And  the  sheen  of  their  spears  was  like  stars  on  the  sea, 
When  the  blue  wave  rolls  nightly  on  deep  Galilee. 

Like  the  leaves  of  the  forest  when  Summer  is  green, 

The  host  with  their  banners  at  sunset  are  seen: 

Like  the  leaves  of  the  forest  when  Autumn  hath  blown, 
That  host  on  the  morrow  lay  wither’d  and  strown. 

For  the  Angel  of  Death  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast, 

And  breathed  in  the  face  of  the  foe  as  he  pass’d; 

And  the  eyes  of  the  sleepers  wax’d  deadly  and  chill, 

And  their  hearts  but  once  heav’d,  and  forever  grew  still! 


218  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


In  the  midst  of  the  pleasures  and  cares  of  royal 
authority,  and  with  his  mind  full  of  plans  for  the 
civic  welfare,  Hezekiah  fell  into  a  dangerous  sick¬ 
ness,  so  that  his  life  was  despaired  of;  Isaiah  came 
to  see  him  and  told  him  bluntly  to  set  his  house  in 
order,  for  he  would  not  recover.  The  good  king 
turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and  prayed,  reminding 
the  Lord  of  how  extremely  well  he  had  behaved, 
and  how  pious  he  had  been.  Then  he  wept  copi¬ 
ously,  for  never  until  the  day  of  Dr.  Johnson  was 
there  a  man  who  loved  life  with  more  gusto,  or  who 
was  more  afraid  of  death.  His  prayer  was  so  effec¬ 
tive  that  Isaiah  was  divinely  commanded  to  grant 
him  a  reprieve,  which  should  last  fifteen  years;  fur¬ 
thermore,  the  Assyrian  triumph  would  be  postponed 
until  after  his  death. 

When  King  Hezekiah  recovered  from  his  sick¬ 
ness,  he  wrote  the  following  poem,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  passages  in  the  Bible: 

I  said  in  the  cutting  off  of  my  days,  I  shall  go  to  the  gates 
of  the  grave:  I  am  deprived  of  the  residue  of  my  years. 

I  said,  I  shall  not  see  the  Lord,  even  the  Lord,  in  the  land 
of  the  living:  I  shall  behold  man  no  more  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  world. 

Mine  age  is  departed,  and  is  removed  from  me  as  a  shep¬ 
herd’s  tent:  I  have  cut  off  like  a  weaver  my  life:  he  will  cut  me 
off  with  pining  sickness :  from  day  even  to  night  wilt  thou  make 
an  end  of  me. 

I  reckoned  till  morning,  that,  as  a  lion,  so  will  he  break  all 
my  bones:  from  day  even  to  night  wilt  thou  make  an  end  of  me. 

Like  a  crane  or  a  swallow,  so  did  I  chatter:  I  did  mourn  as 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  219 

a  dove:  mine  eyes  fail  with  looking  upward:  O  Lord,  I  am 
oppressed;  undertake  for  me. 

What  shall  I  say?  He  hath  both  spoken  unto  me,  and  him¬ 
self  hath  done  it:  I  shall  go  softly  all  my  years  in  the  bitterness 
of  my  soul. 

O  Lord,  by  these  things  men  live,  and  in  all  these  things  is 
the  life  of  my  spirit:  so  wilt  thou  recover  me,  and  make  me 
to  live. 

Behold,  for  peace  I  had  great  bitterness:  but  thou  hast  in 
love  to  my  soul  delivered  it  from  the  pit  of  corruption:  for 
thou  hast  cast  all  my  sins  behind  my  back. 

For  the  grave  cannot  praise  thee,  death  cannot  celebrate 
thee:  they  that  go  down  into  the  pit  cannot  hope  for  thy  truth. 

The  living,  the  living,  he  shall  praise  thee,  as  I  do  this  day: 
the  father  of  the  children  shall  make  known  thy  truth. 

The  Lord  was  ready  to  save  me:  therefore  we  will  sing  my 
songs  to  the  stringed  instruments  all  the  days  of  our  life  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord. 

\ 

The  intense  love  of  life  and  horror  of  annihilation 
expressed  so  poignantly  in  this  psalm  appeared  in  a 
less  noble  fashion  when  Isaiah  stood  before  the  king 
one  day  and  foretold  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
saying  that  Hezekiah’s  own  sons  should  be  degraded 
into  slaves  in  the  Assyrian  palace.  Hezekiah  re¬ 
plied  with  a  frank  statement  of  his  own  selfish  love 
of  ease  and  security,  “Good  is  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
because  these  things  will  not  come  to  pass  until  after 
I  am  gone.”  His  reception  of  Isaiah’s  prophecy 
infallibly  reminds  us  of  another  king,  Louis  XV, 
who  in  strikingly  similar  circumstances  said  cyni¬ 
cally,  “After  us  the  deluge.” 

Manasseh,  the  son  of  Hezekiah,  succeeded  him 


220  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


on  the  throne  of  Judah;  he  was  an  unprincipled 
scoundrel,  under  whom  the  nation  became  so  de¬ 
generate  that  its  doom  was  merely  a  question  of 
date.  This  man,  however,  reigned  fifty-five  years, 
one  of  the  longest  reigns  in  Bible  history,  so  that, 
like  Louis  XIV  and  Louis  XV,  he  had  every  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  accomplish  the  ruin  of  his  country.  His 
son  Amon  became  so  impossible  that  he  was  assassi¬ 
nated  after  being  two  years  on  the  throne,  and  the 
“people  of  the  land”  took  his  little  boy,  Josiah,  eight 
years  old,  and  proclaimed  him  king.  However 
powerful  or  cruel  the  kings  were,  both  in  Israel  and 
in  Judah,  they  were  never  absolute  monarchs;  demo¬ 
cratic  sentiment  ruled  from  the  time  of  Saul  till  the 
very  end;  in  the  last  century  of  the  two  kingdoms, 
revolutions  and  assassinations  became  so  common 
as  to  attract  only  momentary  attention. 

Josiah  was  a  throw-back  to  his  great-grandfather 
Hezekiah;  he  was  a  thoroughly  upright  and  spir¬ 
itually  minded  king,  as  loyal  to  Jehovah  as  David 
himself.  This  reign  of  Josiah  is  the  last  brightness 
before  the  night  of  captivity.  The  sun  of  Judah,  so 
long  in  the  clouds,  emerged  just  before  setting,  and 
shone  with  a  brilliance  all  the  greater  because  of  the 
coming  darkness.  Josiah  repaired  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  and  during  the  renovation  a  wonderful  thing 
happened.  Hilkiah  the  High  Priest  found  the  book 
of  the  Law,  which  had  not  only  been  neglected,  but 
had  become  as  obsolete  as  statutes  quite  forgotten. 
It  was  like  a  new  revelation,  like  a  reincarnation  of 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  221 

Moses  himself.  When  Josiah  heard  the  words  of 
the  Law  read  aloud,  he  tore  his  garments;  for  the 
contrast  between  what  was  and  what  ought  to  be 
was  total.  He  determined  to  make  a  thorough¬ 
going  reformation;  and  first  he  enquired,  curiously 
enough,  of  a  prophetess  named  Huldah,  who  lived 
in  the  divinity  school  in  Jerusalem;  she  received  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  which  said  that  Judah  was 
doomed,  yet  because  of  the  piety  and  devotion  of 
Josiah,  he  should  not  live  to  see  his  country  made 
desolate,  but  should  go  to  his  grave  in  peace. 

Instead  of  complacently  rejoicing  in  this  message, 
as  his  great-grandfather  Llezekiah  would  have  done, 
he  proceeded  to  do  the  work  of  ten  men.  He  knew 
that  the  night  was  coming,  and  resolved  to  make 
the  best  possible  use  of  his  time.  He  certainly  was 
one  of  the  most  admirable  characters  in  monarchical 
history. 

He  destroyed  every  evidence  of  paganism;  he  put 
away  the  mediums  and  the  abominable  fakirs  who 
had  enjoyed  an  ever-increasing  authority;  he  abol¬ 
ished  unspeakable  but  popular  practices;  he  brought 
back  the  observances  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  they 
held  a  Passover  Feast  which  aroused  such  excite¬ 
ment  that  the  historian  says : 

Surely  there  was  not  holden  such  a  passover  from  the  days 
of  the  judges  that  judged  Israel,  nor  in  all  the  days  of  the 
kings  of  Israel,  nor  of  the  kings  of  Judah . 

And  like  unto  him  was  there  no  king  before  him,  that  turned 
to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his  soul,  and  with 


222  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


all  his  might,  according  to  all  the  law  of  Moses;  neither  after 
him  arose  there  any  like  him. 

This  zeal  was  in  part  undoubtedly  owing  to  the 
reaction  against  previous  decadence  and  sin — a  fa¬ 
miliar  spectacle  to  all  acquainted  with  history  and 
human  nature.  But  Josiah  was  in  earnest;  he  may 
have  hoped  to  turn  aside  the  wrath  of  the  Lord,  and 
thus  save  Jerusalem.  If  so,  his  hopes  were  vain. 
All  his  drastic  and  heroic  operations  were  pallia¬ 
tives,  not  remedies;  they  postponed  death,  but  they 
did  not  prevent  it.  Fortunately  for  the  king,  he  was 
killed  in  battle  and  was  delivered  from  the  evil  days. 
Jehoahaz,  his  son,  was  wicked,  and  was  carried  off 
to  Egypt  in  captivity,  where  he  died;  his  brother 
Jehoiakim  was  made  king  of  Judah  by  Pharaoh, 
which  shows  the  national  degradation;  history  had 
repeated  itself,  and  the  Hebrews  were  working  to 
pay  taxes  and  gifts  to  the  Egyptians,  just  as  they 
had  done  in  the  early  days.  But  the  wolf  from 
Egypt  was  devoured  by  the  wolf  from  Babylon,  and 
Judah  changed  masters;  Jehoiakim  attempted  to 
rebel  against  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  Assyrian  king, 
with  disastrous  war  as  a  result;  his  son  Jehoiachin, 
who  followed  him,  was  taken  captive  by  Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar,  and  carried  off  to  Babylon,  with  all  his 
courtiers,  men-at-arms,  and  treasure;  so  Judah  fell. 
The  victor  made  Jehoiachin’s  uncle,  Zedekiah,  king 
of  Jerusalem,  an  ironically  empty  honour,  which, 
however,  Zedekiah  might  have  held  indefinitely  if 
he  had  not  seen  fit  to  rebel. 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  223 

This  rebellion  brought  down  the  final  catastrophe. 
Nebuchadnezzar,  after  a  long  siege,  captured  Jeru¬ 
salem,  took  Zedekiah  to  Riblah,  where  he  was  sub¬ 
jected  to  a  court-martial.  After  killing  his  sons  in 
his  presence — the  last  sight  he  saw  on  earth — they 
tore  out  his  eyes,  bound  him  with  fetters  of  brass, 
and  carried  him  to  Babylon.  Nebuzaradan,  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Assyrian  forces,  destroyed 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  burned  the  temple  of  the 
Lord  and  all  the  houses,  and  carried  away  in  cap¬ 
tivity  every  able-bodied  man,  leaving  only  the  scum 
of  the  city  to  eke  out  what  substance  they  could 
from  the  desolated  land. 

After  the  death  of  King  Nebuchadnezzar,  and 
after  poor  old  Jehoiachin  had  been  in  a  dungeon  in 
Babylon  thirty-seven  years,  Evilmerodach,  the  new 
king,  took  him  out  of  prison,  treated  him  with  such 
kindness  and  consideration  that  his  throne  in  the 
city  was  placed  before  the  thrones  of  the  numerous 
other  captive  kings  which  decorated  the  town,  gave 
him  fine  garments  to  wear,  a  generous  pension,  and 
made  him  a  daily  guest  at  the  royal  table  all  the  days 
of  his  life. 

What  a  romantic  history!  And  how  amazed 
Jehoiachin  must  have  been  at  the  change  in  his  for¬ 
tunes!  Writers  of  romance,  there  is  a  subject  made 
to  your  hand. 

The  life  of  a  nation  is  like  the  life  of  an  indi¬ 
vidual.  The  Hebrews  had  weakened  themselves  by 
sin  and  apostasy  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were 


224  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


at  the  mercy  of  an  attack  which  they  could  easily 
have  thrown  back  in  the  days  of  their  vigour.  They 
and  they  alone  were  responsible  for  their  ultimate 
disgrace  and  ruin. 

Daniel  holds  his  place  among  the  four  major 
prophets  in  Hebrew  literature  by  reason  of  the  ex¬ 
traordinary  strength  of  his  character  and  his  thrill¬ 
ing  adventures.  His  book  is  brief,  but  packed  with 
exciting  incident.  It  will  forever  be  the  joy  and 
delight  of  children,  and  it  is  full  of  significance  to 
thoughtful  men  and  women. 

When  Jehoiakim  was  on  the  throne  of  Judah  and 
Nebuchadnezzar  captured  the  town,  he  brought  the 
princes  of  the  blood  royal  and  the  finest  specimens 
of  young  Hebrew  manhood  into  his  own  palace  in 
Babylon,  and  gave  command  that  those  who  com¬ 
bined  bodily  and  mental  gifts  should  be  given  the 
best  of  food  and  the  best  of  teaching,  so  that  they 
might  become  proficient  in  the  art  and  learning  of 
the  Chaldeans  and  forget  their  nativity  and  their 
religion.  It  was  a  clever  attempt  to  force,  gently 
but  effectively,  Babylonian  Kultur  on  the  children 
of  Judah. 

Among  these  brilliant  youths  were  four  of  espe¬ 
cial  comeliness  and  promise — Daniel  and  three 
others.  Their  Hebrew  names  were  changed  into 
Beiteshazzar,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego. 
It  is  curious  that  in  popular  parlance  Daniel  has 
always  kept  his  Jewish  name,  while  the  other  three 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  225 

— originally  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah — will 
forever  be  remembered  by  their  foreign  appella¬ 
tions.  Possibly  in  English  this  may  be  because  of 
the  melodious  rhythm  of  the  three  taken  together; 
probably  because  the  original  chronicler  preserved 
the  name  of  the  prophet,  while  after  a  struggle  he 
seems  to  have  adopted  the  Babylonian  names  for 
the  others. 

In  the  foreign  court  Daniel  was  as  popular  as 
Joseph  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  and  in  many  strik¬ 
ing  ways  seems  to  have  resembled  his  Hebrew 
prototype;  he  was  clever,  wise,  well-spoken,  irresist¬ 
ibly  charming  in  manner,  and  a  psycho-analyst  of 
such  skill  that  he  interpreted  dreams  without  the 
least  difficulty. 

But  he  and  his  three  friends  were  conscientious 
objectors,  and  if  they  had  not  been  popular  with 
the  guards,  they  would  not  have  lived  to  become 
famous.  Daniel  positively  refused  to  eat  the  meat 
and  drink  the  wine  from  the  king’s  table,  and  begged 
the  chief  officer  to  let  them  live  on  vegetables  and 
water.  The  twentieth  century  antipathy  to  flesh 
and  alcohol  was  then  unknown;  and  the  officer  de¬ 
murred,  saying  that  this  meagre  diet  would  destroy 
their  strength  and  beauty,  so  that  he  would  get  into 
trouble.  Daniel  proposed  the  same  test  that  Benja¬ 
min  Franklin  proposed  to  the  beer-drinkers  in  the 
London  printing-office,  namely,  to  have  a  competi¬ 
tion.  The  officer  finally  consented.  Then  at  the 
end  of  ten  days  Daniel  and  his  friends  appeared 


226  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


more  fit  than  any  of  the  others.  No  more  was  said: 
and  they  ate  vegetables  and  drank  water  in  peace. 

Thus  Daniel  holds  a  place  in  history  as  the  first 
vegetarian;  he  was  far  ahead  of  his  time,  and  ought 
to  be  especially  honoured  to-day  by  all  the  numerous 
theorisers  in  diet  whose  preaching  fills  our  land. 
There  are  so  many  just  now  who  are  so  much  more 
interested  in  dieting  than  in  religion  that  Daniel 
ought  to  be  canonised.  For  to-day  hundreds  of 
thousands  neglect  their  souls,  while  to  themselves 
they  put  these  burning  and  primarily  important  ques¬ 
tions:  What  shall  we  eat?  and  what  shall  we  drink? 

It  so  happened  that  King  Nebuchadnezzar  had  a 
dream  so  vivid  that  it  tormented  him;  even  after  he 
woke  up,  and  daylight  flooded  the  place,  he  could 
not  drive  it  from  his  mind.  He  finally  sent  for  all 
his  magicians,  sorcerers,  astrologers,  fortune-tellers, 
mediums — indeed,  all  the  fakirs  and  professional 
frauds  that  in  all  times  and  countries  have  made 
and  are  making  a  rich  income  ofi  human  gulls — and 
he  gave  them  terrifying  information.  They  were 
not  only  to  interpret  the  dream,  but  tell  him  what 
the  dream  was;  being  a  wise  king,  he  may  have 
suspected  them,  and  have  taken  this  occasion  to  get 
rid  of  them  all.  For  he  told  them  that  if  they  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  giving  him  the  nature  of  the  dream  and 
of  the  interpretation,  they  should  be  magnificently 
rewarded;  if  they  failed  they  should  all  be  disem¬ 
boweled  and  their  houses  turned  into  dunghills. 

They  protested;  they  declared  that  if  he  wished 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  227 

an  interpretation  he  must  first  tell  them  the  dream. 
“Just  what  I  thought  you  would  say,”  he  declared 
in  a  royal  rage;  “all  you  want  is  to  gain  time,  so 
you  can  make  up  some  cock-and-bull  story.”  He  at 
once  made  a  proclamation  that  every  “wise  man”  in 
the  kingdom  should  be  slain. 

This  of  course  included  Daniel;  he  spoke  with  the 
captain  of  the  guard,  and  sent  word  to  the  king  that 
the  royal  curiosity  would  be  satisfied.  In  a  night 
vision  Daniel  received  the  truth;  he  was  so  delighted 
that  he  composed  an  especial  song  of  thanksgiving. 
He  petitioned  the  king  to  spare  the  lives  of  the 
magicians,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  brought  into  the 
presence  he  told  Nebuchadnezzar  that  this  affair 
had  nothing  to  do  with  sorcerers  or  astrologers; 
that  there  was  a  God  in  heaven  who  revealed  secrets 
to  those  who  followed  and  worshipped  Him.  It 
was  therefore  not  through  Daniel’s  cleverness,  but 
through  God’s  mercy,  that  he  was  able  to  give  both 
dream  and  vision. 

Then  he  narrated  the  dream — a  great  image  ap¬ 
peared,  with  gold  head,  silver  breast,  brass  thighs, 
iron  legs,  with  an  alloy  of  clay  in  the  feet.  A  stone 
made  without  hands  smote  and  smashed  the  feet; 
the  image  was  pulverised,  and  the  stone  became  a 
mountain  and  filled  the  earth.  The  interpretation: 
the  present  kingdom  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was  the 
gold  head,  which  would  be  succeeded  by  gradually 
inferior  kingdoms,  which  should  finally  go  to  ruin 
through  dissension  (iron  and  clay)  ;  then  would 


228  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


come  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  which  should 
rule  all  nations. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  who  had  never  bowed  his 
haughty  head  before,  fell  on  his  face  and  wor¬ 
shipped  Daniel,  and  gave  him  the  same  position  that 
Joseph  had  held  in  Egypt;  he  became  prime  minis¬ 
ter.  Immediately  he  found  state  offices  for  his  three 
friends,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego.  Daniel 
was  a  good  politician. 

Some  time  after  this  event,  the  king  caused  to 
be  erected  a  statue  of  gold  about  a  hundred  feet  in 
height.  He  then  issued  the  following  silly  ukase: 
whenever  certain  instrumental  music  should  be 
played  by  the  royal  court  orchestra,  every  person 
must  fall  down  and  worship  the  golden  image.  And 
so,  with  a  few  exceptions,  they  did.  I  wonder  what 
the  music  was  like. 

The  exceptions  were  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abednego.  They  were  independent;  they  did  their 
own  thinking;  they  did  not  follow  the  herd;  they 
served  not  the  gods  of  the  nation,  nor  did  they  care 
one  iota  for  public  sentiment.  For  the  glory  of 
poor  human  nature,  be  it  remembered  that  out  of 
every  hundred  thousand  people,  there  are  usually 
three  who  think  for  themselves.  They  must  be  pre¬ 
pared  to  share  the  doom  of  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego;  for  public  opinion,  when  aroused,  is 
a  consuming  fire. 

Now,  although  Daniel  had  saved  from  ignomini¬ 
ous  death  a  horde  of  soothsayers,  he  and  his  three 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  229 

friends  were  not  popular;  which  fact  ought  to  be 
easily  understood  by  those  who  know  anything  of 
human  nature.  These  four  foreigners  were  exalted 
office-holders,  high  in  royal  favour,  and  therefore 
the  object  of  sharp  and  malignant  envy. 

The  three  non-conformists  were  as  prominent  as 
torches  on  a  dark  night;  when  the  music  sounded 
and  the  population  fell  flat  and  grovelled,  these 
three  gentlemen  apparently  heard  nothing  and  no¬ 
ticed  nothing;  they  simply  went  on  tranquilly  with 
whatever  undertaking  they  had  in  hand. 

News  of  their  defiance  was  brought  to  the  king, 
who  had  a  typically  regal  rage.  He  sent  for  them, 
and  asked  them  if  the  report  of  their  behaviour  was 
correct;  if  so,  they  would  be  cast  into  the  burning 
fiery  furnace,  and  where  was  there  any  God  who 
could  deliver  them?  Their  answer  is  magnificent 
in  its  courage  and  independence.  “We  are  not  care¬ 
ful  to  answer  thee  in  this  matter” — that  is,  we  are 
not  in  the  least  worried.  There  is  a  God  who  can 
deliver  us,  even  from  the  midst  of  the  flames — but 
then  comes  the  splendid  conclusion,  the  finest  thing 
they  said:  even  if  He  does  not ,  we  positively  refuse 
to  serve  thy  gods  or  bow  down  to  thine  image. 
There  spoke  true  men  and  true  believers — though 
He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him. 

Nebuchadnezzar’s  face  grew  even  hotter  than  his 
furnace;  in  a  blazing  fury  he  commanded  that  the 
furnace  be  seven  times  increased  in  temperature. 
Which  shows  what  a  fool  he  was;  for  if  he  had 


230  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


wished  to  make  them  suffer,  he  ought  to  have  had 
a  nice,  slow  fire.  The  result  was  that  the  athletic 
executioners  who  took  hold  of  the  three  victims,  to 
cast  them  into  the  furnace,  got  a  little  too  near  the 
door  thereof ;  tongues  of  flame  darted  out  and  de¬ 
stroyed  them  all.  Whereas,  to  the  amazement  of 
the  king,  who  had  attended  the  ceremony  in  person 
at  a  safe  distance,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego  lost  nothing  in  the  fire  but  their  fetters;  they 
walked  up  and  down  in  the  roaring  flames  and 
seemed  to  like  the  climate;  furthermore,  they  were 
under  the  protection  of  some  divinity,  for  Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar  thought  he  saw  an  angel  walking  with  them. 

Then  Nebuchadnezzar  came  near  to  the  mouth  of  the  burn¬ 
ing  fiery  furnace,  and  spake,  and  said,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abednego,  ye  servants  of  the  most  high  God,  come  forth,  and 
come  hither.  Then  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego  came 
forth  of  the  midst  of  the  fire. 

And  the  princes,  governors,  and  captains,  and  the  king’s  coun¬ 
sellors,  being  gathered  together,  saw  these  men,  upon  whose 
bodies  the  fire  had  no  power,  nor  was  an  hair  of  their  head 
singed,  neither  were  their  coats  changed,  nor  the  smell  of  fire 
had  passed  on  them. 

The  king  was  enormously  impressed.  The  sala- 
mandric  three  were  promoted,  and  it  was  com¬ 
manded  that  any  man  who  said  one  word  against 
the  Hebrew  religion  should  be  cut  in  pieces. 

Nebuchadnezzar  had  another  dream,  and  he  sent 
for  the  great  psycho-analyst,  after  trying  without 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  231 

success  the  wisdom  of  the  magicians;  observe  that 
nothing  can  cure  one  from  going  to  mediums,  once 
one  has  got  the  habit.  Their  ignorance  and  fraud 
may  be  proved,  but  they  can  usually  do  a  good  busi¬ 
ness  even  with  old  customers.  Daniel  was  “aston- 
ied  for  one  hour”  when  he  heard  the  dream,  and 
the  king,  instead  of  being  angry,  told  him  not  to 
worry  if  he  could  not  interpret  it.  But  Daniel  was 
not  silent  because  he  did  not  know  the  right  answer; 
he  was  silent  because  he  did  know  it.  He  was  forced 
to  tell  the  great  king  that  a  time  was  coming  when 
he  should  be  driven  from  power,  and  live  like  an 
ox  in  the  field  until  he  was  sufficiently  humbled  to 
recognise  God.  Then  all  these  things  would  be 
added  unto  him  again. 

Exactly  one  year  after  this  conversation,  Nebuch¬ 
adnezzar  was  walking  in  the  palace  grounds,  swell¬ 
ing  with  conceit,  when  there  fell  a  voice  from  heaven, 
and  within  an  hour  he  was  driven  out  in  disgrace, 
and  ate  grass  in  the  pasture  like  a  beast  of  the  field. 
And  thus  he  continued  doing  for  a  long  time. 

Personally  I  have  no  doubt  this  regimen  was  as 
good  for  his  body  as  for  his  pride.  The  royal  diges¬ 
tion  was  undoubtedly  upset  by  high  living  on  meats, 
dainties,  pastry,  and  wine;  so  that  to  eat  for  many 
months  lettuce,  and  cress,  and  cereals,  and  to  drink 
only  water,  was  a  necessary  change.  It  brought  him 
back  to  reason  and  health.  In  the  happiness  of 
humility  he  took  up  again  the  cares  of  state,  and 


232  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 

until  his  death  worshipped  the  God  of  Truth  and 
Righteousness,  as  do  all  kings  who  retain  or  regain 
their  sanity. 

Nebuchadnezzar  never  forgot  the  religion  he  had 
acquired  through  vegetation,  but  his  son  Belshazzar, 
who  succeeded  him  on  the  throne,  was  frivolous  and 
dissipated,  overfond  of  feasting  and  strong  liquors. 
One  night  he  arranged  a  magnificent  state  banquet, 
one  thousand  sitting  down  to  dinner  in  a  vast  hall. 
The  king,  flushed  with  wine,  ordered  the  holy  ves¬ 
sels  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  to  be  brought,  and 
he,  the  princes  and  the  ladies  of  the  court,  all  drank 
out  of  them.  In  the  midst  of  the  revelry  there 
appeared  a  Hand,  writing  on  the  wall,  and  the  king 
was  troubled.  He  could  see  the  Hand  but  not  the 
words.  The  same  old  mediums  made  the  same  old 
failure  to  pass  the  examination.  The  queen,  who 
seems  to  have  been  sitting  up,  although  not  present 
at  the  feast,  listened  to  the  sudden  silence  in  the 
banquet  hall,  more  noticeable  than  cheers :  she  en¬ 
tered  the  room,  and  informed  the  king  that  his 
father,  when  in  a  quandary,  invariably  consulted  a 
wise  Hebrew  named  Daniel.  Accordingly,  Daniel 
was  aroused  and  brought  into  the  presence.  He 
was  informed  that  if  he  could  properly  interpret  the 
mystic  handwriting  he  should  be  clothed  in  scarlet, 
wear  a  chain  of  gold,  and  be  the  third  ruler  in  the 
kingdom. 

Daniel  was  harsh  and  rude  in  his  reply  to  these 
gracious  words;  he  told  the  king  to  keep  his  gifts  or 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  233 

bestow  them  elsewhere ;  this  remark  he  followed  by 
a  denunciation  of  Belshazzar’s  career,  comparing 
him  unfavourably  with  his  deceased  father.  At  that 
moment  the  Hand  vanished  and  the  words  appeared. 
The  writing  on  the  wall,  said  Daniel — and  we  can 
feel  the  suspense  in  the  great  room — is 

Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin, 

which,  being  interpreted,  is  as  follows:  The  first 
two  words  mean  that  God  has  numbered  your  king¬ 
dom,  and  reached  the  end  of  it;  Tekel  means  you 
are  weighed,  and  are  a  featherweight;  Upharsin 
or  Peres  signifies  that  your  kingdom  is  divided,  and 
the  Medes  and  Persians  will  take  it. 

Instead  of  killing  Daniel  for  his  insolence,  Bel¬ 
shazzar  immediately  gave  orders  and  the  prophet 
was  clothed  in  scarlet,  a  chain  of  gold  put  round 
his  neck,  and  he  was  proclaimed  the  third  ruler  in 
the  kingdom.  One  cannot  praise  too  highly  the 
sportsmanship  and  honesty  and  magnanimity  of  the 
king.  This  command  was  the  last  he  uttered,  for 
that  very  night  he  was  killed,  and  Darius  the  Mede 
mounted  the  throne. 

The  next  adventure  of  Daniel  is  one  of  the 
world’s  favourite  stories,  and  peculiarly  appeals  to 
the  vivid  imagination  of  children.  It  would  be  diffi¬ 
cult  to  find  anyone  who  had  not  heard  of  Daniel  in 
the  den  of  lions.  His  other  exploits  are  sufficiently 
remarkable;  but  the  lions  immortalised  him. 

As  Daniel  had  been  a  prominent  statesman  under 


234  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


both  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Belshazzar,  so  Darius, 
who  became  king  at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  made 
Daniel  prime  minister,  “because  an  excellent  spirit 
was  in  him.”  The  courtiers  and  politicians  looked 
at  him  with  green  eyes  and  tried  to  find  something 
wrong  in  his  administration.  But  this  was  impos¬ 
sible,  for  he  was  both  able  and  honest.  Finally  they 
remembered  that  he  had  never  surrendered  to  the 
state-church,  and  in  this  fact  saw  an  opportunity  to 
ruin  him.  It  seems  that  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and 
the  Persians  were  stiff er  than  the  United  States  Con¬ 
stitution;  once  decreed  they  could  be  neither  modi¬ 
fied  nor  broken.  Accordingly  these  plotters  induced 
King  Darius  to  establish  a  decree  that  for  the  next 
thirty  days  no  person  should  ask  a  petition  of  either 
God  or  man,  but  only  of  the  king.  The  penalty  for 
disobedience  was  the  den  of  lions.  Now  kings  are 
just  as  easily  flattered  as  other  men;  and  Darius 
signed  the  decree  complacently. 

Daniel,  who  never  lacked  the  courage  of  his  con¬ 
victions,  went  into  his  house,  opened  the  windows 
toward  Jerusalem,  and  there  in  sight  of  the  passers 
in  the  street,  knelt  down  and  prayed  three  times  a 
day  to  Jehovah.  Word  was  immediately  brought  to 
Darius,  who  was  terribly  depressed;  he  not  only 
loved  Daniel  personally,  but  knew  his  value  as  a 
statesman.  Lie  set  in  motion  all  the  royal  influence, 
and  worked  till  sunset  to  find  some  method  by  which 
Daniel  could  be  saved.  Impossible.  Just  before 
Daniel  was  thrown  into  the  lion-pit,  the  king  whis- 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  235 

pered  to  him,  “Thy  God  will  save  thee.”  A  stone 
was  rolled  up  to  the  den’s  mouth  and  sealed  with 
the  king’s  own  seal. 

Darius  passed  a  much  more  restless  night  than 
Daniel;  he  ate  no  supper;  he  forbade  the  court 
orchestra  to  play  the  usual  evening  concert;  he  slept 
not  a  wink.  At  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  he  hastened 
to  the  den  of  lions  and  sobbed  and  wailed  and  called 
on  the  name  of  Daniel,  asking  if  his  God  had  saved 
him.  Imagine  the  king’s  ecstasy  when  the  familiar 
voice  of  the  prime  minister  came  cheerily  out  of  the 
pit,  saying:  “Long  live  the  King.  My  God  hath 
sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the  lions’  mouths,  that 
they  have  not  hurt  me.” 

Then  Daniel  was  taken  up  into  safety,  and  the 
men  who  had  accused  him  under  the  espionage  act 
were  cast  into  the  den  of  lions,  together  with 
their  wives  and  children,  whose  shrieks  must  have 
drowned  the  roar  of  the  huge  beasts.  Now  the 
lions,  whose  appetite  had  been  sharpened  to  a  razor 
edge  by  the  night-long  contemplation  of  Daniel, 
leaped  upon  this  fresh  supply  of  human  meat  and 
tore  them  all  to  pieces  before  the  visitors  had 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  den. 

Then  Darius  made  a  new  decree  to  the  effect  that 
the  religion  of  Daniel  should  be  established  as  the 
state  church,  and  that  in  every  province  the  people 
should  fear  Jehovah;  and  Daniel  continued  high  in 
favour  both  in  the  reign  of  Darius  the  Mede  and 
in  the  reign  of  his  successor,  Cyrus  the  Persian. 


236  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  remainder  of  the  book  of  Daniel  is  taken  up 
with  strange  prophecies  and  stranger  mathematics; 
in  the  attempt  to  solve  these  enigmas,  the  popula¬ 
tion  of  madhouses  has  been  increased. 

The  lack  of  national  bias  so  characteristic  of  the 
purely  historical  books  of  Samuel,  of  the  Kings  and 
the  Chronicles,  is  by  no  means  in  evidence  either  in 
Daniel  or  in  Esther;  these  two  books,  containing 
some  of  the  best  stories  to  be  found  anywhere  in 
literature,  are  frankly  written  to  glorify  the  Hebrew 
nation;  they  are  warmly  patriotic,  the  intention  be¬ 
ing  to  show  that  even  during  the  captivity  there  were 
no  men  like  the  Hebrews,  and  no  God  like  Jehovah. 
Even  in  the  darkest  hours  they  were  a  race  of 
heroes  and  heroines.  This  bond  of  national  pride 
unites  the  story  of  Daniel  with  the  story  of  Esther; 
one  great  man  and  one  great  woman  upheld  the 
splendour  of  Israel  in  a  strange  land. 

But  there  is  this  difference  between  them:  the 
book  of  Daniel  is  deeply  religious,  and  is  an  offering 
before  Jehovah;  the  book  of  Esther  is  not  religious 
at  all,  and  is  the  only  book  in  the  Bible  which  does 
not  mention  the  name  of  God.  It  is  simply  a  superb 
drama,  a  drama  so  thrilling  that  it  has  been  repeat¬ 
edly  transferred  to  the  stage. 

The  mighty  King  Ahasuerus  (Xerxes)  gave  a 
state  dinner  at  Shushan  (Susa),  to  inaugurate  a 
world’s  fair  which  should  last  one  hundred  and 
eighty  days,  in  which  the  riches  and  glory  of  his 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  237 


kingdom  should  be  fittingly  celebrated.  When  the 
exposition  was  over  he  gave  a  special  feast  to  com¬ 
memorate  the  occasion,  a  feast  continuing  for  a 
week.  This  feasting  was  held  in  the  palace  garden 
at  Susa,  which  had  been  decorated  for  the  occasion 
in  the  most  lavish  style.  There  were  pillars  of  mar¬ 
ble,  to  which  were  attached  curtains  of  gorgeous 
colours;  the  couches  were  of  solid  gold  and  silver, 
placed  on  a  pavement  of  red,  blue,  black,  and  white 
marble.  The  king’s  special  stock  of  wine  was 
opened,  and  every  guest  was  allowed  to  drink  as 
much  as  he  pleased.  The  result  was  what  might 
have  been  expected. 

Queen  Vashti  gave  a  special  feast  at  the  same 
time  for  the  ladies  of  honour.  I  wish  we  knew  more 
about  her,  for  she  must  have  been  an  interesting 
woman,  with  a  mind  of  her  own.  Our  forefathers, 
who  tried  to  extract  some  piety  out  of  every  page 
in  the  Bible,  believed  she  was  stubborn,  rebellious 
and  wicked;  the  sin  of  pride  was  always  reprehen¬ 
sible,  but  particularly  so  in  women.  The  New  Eng¬ 
land  primer  said 

Vashti  for  pride 

Was  set  aside. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  nothing  but  commenda¬ 
tion  for  her  behaviour. 

On  the  seventh  day  of  this  general  debauch,  the 
king  was  exceedingly  drunk,  and  was  bragging  of 


238  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  beauty  of  his  queen.  By  a  natural  but  regret¬ 
table  impulse,  he  determined  that  she  should  be 
publicly  exhibited  before  all  the  company,  that  they 
might  see  for  themselves  her  shapely  beauty.  She 
was  accordingly  sent  for;  but  having  no  desire  to 
be  paraded  before  the  revellers,  she  flatly  refused  to 
come,  showing  more  regard  for  her  dignity  and 
modesty  than  for  the  king’s  alcoholic  caprices.  Per¬ 
haps  she  believed  that  when  he  became  sober  again 
he  would  condemn  her  for  such  an  exhibition  and 
discard  her  forever.  Anyhow,  she  refused.  The 
king  flew  into  that  kind  of  rage  that  so  frequently 
accompanies  drunkenness,  and  wondered  just  what 
particular  punishment  might  fit  this  crime. 

There  followed  a  conversation  which,  read  in  the 
light  of  the  twentieth  century,  is  decidedly  amusing. 
The  courtiers  told  the  king  that  unless  Vashti  were 
deposed  there  would  be  no  keeping  the  ladies  down. 
Her  obstinacy  would  be  known  everywhere,  and 
wives  would  get  the  idea  that  they,  too,  might  follow 
her  example  and  set  up  their  wills  against  their  hus¬ 
bands,  which  simply  would  not  do.  What  would 
become  of  society  if  women  should  feel  independent, 
and  not  be  subject  to  their  lords  and  masters? 

Accordingly,  King  Xerxes  promulgated  a  law  that 
throughout  the  kingdom  every  man  should  rule  in 
his  own  house  and  the  wives  should  give  honour  to 
their  husbands,  both  great  and  small.  This  was  not 
the  last  time  that  an  attempt  has  been  made  to 
change  human  nature  by  legislation ;  it  probably  had 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  239 

the  usual  result.  Can’t  you  see  in  certain  house¬ 
holds  capable  wives  sniffing  contemptuously  when 
their  irresolute  husbands  quoted  the  law? 

Then  it  was  decided  that  the  whole  country  should 
be  searched  for  fair  virgins,  just  as  in  the  twentieth 
century  a  prize  is  given  for  the  prettiest  girl,  and 
her  picture  is  published  in  the  papers,  followed  by  an 
increase  in  her  correspondence.  All  these  village 
beauties  were  to  be  paraded  before  the  king,  so  that 
he  might  pick  a  new  queen. 

Now  it  happened  that  in  Susa  there  lived  a  certain 
Mordecai,  who  was  a  Hebrew  of  the  tribe  of  Ben¬ 
jamin,  and  of  the  family  of  Kish,  from  which  Saul, 
the  first  king  of  Israel,  had  sprung.  As  King  Saul 
had  come  from  the  family  of  Kish  in  Benjamin,  so 
Esther,  the  queen  of  Persia,  came  from  the  same 
family,  and  carried  on  the  royal  traditions.  Al¬ 
though  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  subjection,  by 
clever  manipulation  they  managed  to  get  one  of 
their  own  kingly  stock  on  the  conqueror’s  throne. 

Esther  was  the  daughter  of  Mordecai’s  uncle;  I 
think  that  makes  her  his  cousin,  but  I  am  not  sure, 
not  being  strong  on  genealogy;  her  father  and 
mother  were  dead,  and  she  was  penniless;  but  her 
face  was  her  fortune,  as  we  shall  see.  King  Cophe- 
tua  and  the  beggar  maid — a  favourite  combination 
in  romance. 

Mordecai  gave  her  some  shrewd  private  coach¬ 
ing,  and  when  her  turn  came  to  be  shown  to  the  king, 
he  forgot  all  the  other  virgins  and  crowned  her 


240  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


queen.  Meanwhile,  Mordecai,  who  sat  in  the  king’s 
gate,  had  discovered  a  conspiracy  against  the  life  of 
Xerxes;  he  informed  Esther,  who  in  her  turn  told 
her  royal  spouse;  the  plotters  were  seized  and 
hanged  on  a  tree,  and  the  whole  story  set  down  in 
the  state  chronicles. 

Prime  Minister  Haman  was  a  pompous  and  con¬ 
ceited  ass,  who  strutted  conspicuously  in  public  and 
enjoyed  seeing  the  people  bow  down  and  do  homage 
wherever  he  appeared ;  he  loved  to  be  saluted.  Now 
just  as  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego  had  taken 
an  independent  attitude  in  the  days  of  Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar,  Mordecai  behaved  in  the  same  fashion  in 
these  times;  when  Haman  passed  the  king’s  gate, 
Mordecai  not  only  gave  no  salute,  he  did  not  take 
the  trouble  to  rise  from  his  chair.  Like  all  little 
men  dressed  in  authority,  Haman  could  not  endure 
this.  When  the  courtiers  remonstrated  with  Morde¬ 
cai  and  asked  him  why  he  would  not  salute,  he 
answered  proudly,  “I  am  a  Jew.”  Haman  therefore 
determined  to  destroy  the  entire  Hebrew  popula¬ 
tion. 

These  people  were  scattered  abroad  in  every 
province,  as  they  have  been  ever  since ;  accordingly, 
with  the  king’s  consent,  a  decree  was  sent  forth  to 
north,  south,  east,  and  west  that  on  a  certain  day 
they  should  be  exterminated.  Xerxes  and  Haman 
sat  down  to  drink  confusion  to  the  Jews;  but  the 
city  of  Susa  was  perplexed. 

Esther,  carefully  tutored  by  Mordecai,  risked  her 
life  by  appearing  before  the  king  unrequested;  but 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  241 

she  was  looking  uncommonly  pretty  that  day  and 
knew  her  power.  The  king  told  her  in  his  enthusi¬ 
asm  that  he  would  give  her  anything  she  asked  for. 
She  made  the  strange  request  that  she  would  like 
a  little  dinner  party  of  three — Xerxes,  Haman,  and 
herself.  When  Haman  received  his  invitation,  he 
expanded  and  did  what  many  a  man  has  done — 
bragged  to  his  wife.  Yet  he  added  that  he  could 
not  have  unalloyed  happiness  so  long  as  that  stub¬ 
born  Mordecai  looked  at  him  disdainfully.  He 
suspected  in  his  heart  that  Mordecai’s  cynical  eyes 
appraised  him  at  his  true  worth;  his  self-confidence 
was  shaken,  and  he  could  not  enjoy  life  so  long  as 
he  had  any  doubt  of  his  own  greatness. 

The  sweets  of  popularity  are  sometimes  embit¬ 
tered  by  one  shrewd  dissenter. 

Zeresh  could  not  really  have  loved  such  a  prepos¬ 
terous  fool  as  Haman,  even  though  she  was  pleased 
with  her  social  position;  in  her  advice  to  her  hus¬ 
band,  she  may  have  had  some  notions  of  her  own. 
She  suggested  that  he  have  erected  a  gallows  so  high 
that  everybody  in  town  could  see  its  burden;  then 
when  the  king  is  enjoying  his  dinner,  to  get  his  con¬ 
sent  to  decorate  this  lofty  gibbet  with  Mordecai. 

There  followed  a  scene  which  seems  strangely 
modern.  On  that  night  the  king  could  not  sleep, 
and  after  turning  over,  counting  sheep,  and  trying 
to  get  his  whirling  mind  out  of  the  gear  of  care, 
he  finally  did  what  everyone  has  done;  he  decided 
to  have  light  made,  and  to  read  awhile.  Accord- 


242  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


ingly  they  brought  before  him  what  corresponded 
to  the  Congressional  Record  and  began  to  read 
aloud,  thinking  the  result  would  be  certain;  but 
when  they  reached  the  story  of  the  conspiracy  dis¬ 
covered  by  Mordecai,  to  their  amazement  the  king 
sat  up  excitedly  and  asked  if  an)^thing  had  been  done 
for  this  man.  Nothing. 

It  is  at  this  point  that  the  famous  story  has  given 
the  most  delight  to  readers  in  all  nations;  for  human 
nature  enjoys  nothing  more  than  to  see  a  rascal  paid 
in  his  own  coin,  or,  as  Hamlet  expressed  it,  to  see 
the  engineer  hoist  with  his  own  petard.  Hamlet’s 
remark  is  particularly  applicable  in  this  case,  for 
Haman  was  certainly  hoisted. 

The  king  sent  for  Haman,  and  asked  him  what 
ought  to  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king  delight- 
eth  to  honour.  Haman  naturally  took  this  remark  to 
himself,  and  suggested  a  public  parade.  Imagine  his 
feelings  when  he  was  told  to  hurry  and  escort  Mor¬ 
decai  through  the  streets.  After  this  long  draught 
of  wormwood,  he  went  home  to  his  wife  in  quite 
different  spirits  from  those  which  haloed  his  de¬ 
parture.  She  calmly  told  him  to  expect  the  worst. 
While  he  was  in  this  state  of  humiliation  and  fear, 
the  chamberlains  came  to  bring  him  to  the  banquet 
a  trois. 

In  the  midst  of  this  little  feast,  Queen  Esther 
suddenly  rose  and  dramatically  denounced  him  to 
the  king,  who  rushed  out  into  the  garden  to  cool  off. 
He  returned  and  asked  a  question,  in  response  to 


DOWNFALL  OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH  243 

which  a  chamberlain  informed  him  that  the  lofty 
gallows  erected  by  Haman  was  convenient.  Accord¬ 
ingly,  Haman  was  hanged  on  the  gibbet  he  had 
erected  for  his  foe,  and  the  king  felt  better. 

The  story  ends  with  a  patriotic  flourish.  Queen 
Esther  followed  up  her  success  by  getting  the  decree 
against  the  Jews  reversed.  The  intended  victims 
turned  the  tables  and  had  the  pleasure  of  slaughter¬ 
ing  hundreds  of  their  enemies.  They  “did  what  they 
would  unto  those  that  hated  them.”  It  was  a  field 
day.  When  the  list  of  casualties  was  presented  to 
Xerxes,  he  glanced  over  it  with  some  interest  and 
asked  if  there  was  anything  else  the  queen  desired. 
It  appeared  that  she  wished  that  the  ten  sons  of 
Haman,  who  had  already  been  slain,  should  also  be 
publicly  hanged;  which  was  done. 

Imagine  the  pride  with  which  subsequent  Hebrews 
of  later  times  read  the  following  three  verses,  a 
consolation  for  the  conquest  of  their  country: 

And  Mordecai  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  king  in 
royal  apparel  of  blue  and  white,  and  with  a  great  crown  of  gold, 
and  with  a  garment  of  fine  linen  and  purple:  and  the  city  of 
Shushan  rejoiced  and  was  glad. 

The  Jews  had  light,  and  gladness,  and  joy,  and  honour. 

And  in  every  province,  and  in  every  city,  whithersoever  the 
king’s  commandment  and  his  decree  came,  the  Jews  had  joy  and 
gladness,  a  feast  and  a  good  day.  And  many  of  the  people  of 
the  land  became  Jews;  for  the  fear  of  the  Jews  fell  upon  them. 


I 


X 

THE  APOCRYPHA 


A  Somewhat  N eglected  but  Interesting  Section  of  the 
Bible — A  Spirited  Debate — What  is  the  Strongest 
Thing  in  the  World ? — Daring  of  the  Young  'Men — - 
The  Pessimism  of  Ignorance — Proper  Attitude  To¬ 
ward  Grief  and  Death — Dogs  in  the  Bible — Judith 
and  Holof ernes — Patriotic  Propaganda — Character  of 
Judith — Comparison  With  Esther — A  Discussion  of 
Materialism — The  Love  of  Beauty — Etiquette  and 
Table  Manners — Right  Use  of  Wine — Apostrophe  to 
Death — Susanna  and  the  Elders — A  Daniel  Come  to 
Judgment — Alexander  the  Great — Career  of  Judas 
Maccabeus — Fighting  With  Elephants — W  i  s  d  o  m. 
Valour ,  and  Self-government  of  the  Romans — An  Ideal 
Editor — His  Pleasant  Humour — Torture  of  the  Mar¬ 
tyrs — The  Mother  and  Her  Seven  Sons — The  Editor  s 
Farewell. 


X 


THE  APOCRYPHA 

The  books  of  the  Apocrypha  are  among  the  most 
interesting  parts  of  the  Bible;  they  contain  excellent 
stories,  deep  wisdom,  keen  wit,  shrewd  observation 
of  life,  with  a  continual  revelation  of  human  nature. 
They  have  been  unduly  neglected  not  only  by  the 
public,  but  by  Bible  students;  but  they  will  richly 
repay  an  attentive  reading.  As  they  are  generally 
unknown  to  children,  one  comes  to  them  in  mature 
years  with  fresh  eyes;  one  is  unhampered  by  pre¬ 
vious  conceptions  of  their  doctrinal  or  moral  signifi¬ 
cance;  it  is  almost  as  if  a  man  of  forty  read  the 
Psalms  or  Hamlet  for  the  first  time. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Apocrypha,  we  come  upon 
one  of  the  noblest  passages  in  the  Bible;  it  is  in  the 
third  and  fourth  chapters  of  the  First  Book  of 
Esdras.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  short  story,  and  is 
an  answer  to  this  eternal  question,  What  is  the 
strongest  thing  in  the  world?  The  answer  awarded 
the  prize  is  precisely  the  one  that  would  meet  with 
the  approval  of  the  majority  of  thoughtful  men  and 
women  in  the  twentieth  century. 

King  Darius  had  given  a  great  state  feast,  and 

247 


248  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


while  he  was  sleeping  off  the  effects,  three  young 
gentlemen  of  his  bodyguard  wrote  three  sentences 
in  competition  and  slipped  them  under  his  pillow. 
When  he  rose  up,  he  called  upon  all  the  princes  and 
the  governors  and  the  chiefs  of  the  army  and  took 
his  place  on  the  throne  in  the  royal  hall  of  judg¬ 
ment;  and  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  concourse  the 
three  young  men  were  summoned  and  requested  to 
read  and  defend  their  opinions;  the  prize  to  be 
awarded  by  popular  vote. 

The  first  had  written,  Wine  is  the  strongest.  This 
statement  he  defended  by  showing  how  wine  trans¬ 
formed  the  character  and  personality  of  those  who 
indulged  in  it,  how  when  they  were  drunk  not  only 
their  behaviour  but  their  whole  point  of  view  was 
different  from  their  normal  condition;  and  he  in¬ 
sisted,  with  many  amusing  examples  cited  for  cor¬ 
roboration,  that  an  element  which  could  so  change 
the  very  heart  of  man  must  be  the  strongest  thing 
in  the  world.  It  is  interesting  to  remember  that 
every  one  of  the  examples  given  by  the  speaker  is 
just  as  noticeable  to-day  as  then. 

There  is  no  equality  in  the  world  like  that  pro¬ 
duced  by  drunkenness ;  no  matter  what  their  talents 
or  social  position,  wealth  or  intellect  or  disposition 
may  be  in  hours  of  soberness,  drunken  men  are  all 
on  the  same  plane,  both  with  their  contemporaries 
and  with  those  who  have  been  in  the  grave  three 
thousand  years.  One  might  say  that  alcohol  puts 
all  its  victims  on  the  same  plane  with  a  spirit  level. 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


249 


The  second  had  written,  The  king  is  strongest. 
Then  he  proceeded  to  pay  tribute  to  the  supreme 
power  of  kings,  giving  many  illustrations  both  in 
times  of  peace  and  in  times  of  war;  his  eloquence 
did  not  conceal  his  irony,  which  was  in  fact  so  thinly 
veiled  that  it  is  surprising  that  Darius  did  not  inter¬ 
rupt  him  with  a  reprimand.  Man,  said  the  speaker, 
is  the  highest  form  of  strength  produced  on  the 
planet,  and  as  the  king  is  always  the  chief  and  ruler 
of  men,  he  must  be  the  strongest  thing  in  the  world. 
Then  he  showed  how  both  war  and  taxation  de¬ 
pended  on  the  caprice  of  the  king;  how  the  lives  of 
his  subjects  were  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand;  how 
some  would  go  to  war  and  others  work  on  farms, 
merely  at  the  king’s  pleasure;  and  then,  with  all  the 
spoils  that  they  had  won  by  blood  and  sweat,  they 
brought  them  humbly  to  the  sole  profiteer — the  king. 
And  while  thousands  of  his  subjects  were  thus  fight¬ 
ing  and  working,  “he  lieth  down,  he  eateth  and 
drinketh,  and  taketh  his  rest.”  Surely  the  world 
affords  no  such  example  of  strength  as  the  king. 

He  made  out  a  good  case  for  his  own  time,  and 
for  many  future  generations;  but  not  forever.  He 
had  on  his  side  human  statutes,  but  not  natural  law. 
The  curious  thing  to  a  student  of  history  is  the  long 
endurance  of  men  and  women  under  the  caprices 
and  cruelties  of  tyrants — why  should  they  have  en¬ 
joyed  such  arbitrary  power  for  so  many  centuries? 
And,  indeed,  what  the  orator  said  was  true  of  the 
Tsar  Nikolas  and  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  so  late  as 


250  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


1917;  but  it  is  true  no  longer.  Our  time  (I  hope) 
has  put  the  last  nail  in  the  coffin  of  royalty.  And 
it  is  worth  remembering  that  Absolutism  got  its 
deathblow  not  from  the  wisdom,  intelligence,  and 
courage  of  the  people,  but  solely  through  its  own 
excesses  and  madness.  Had  the  Tsar  ruled  with 
anything  resembling  wisdom  and  forbearance  and 
consideration,  he  might  have  died  in  his  bed;  had 
Wilhelm  felt  any  limitations  this  side  of  divinity,  he 
might  to-day  still  be  on  the  throne. 

The  third  had  written,  Women  are  strongest :  but 
above  all  things  Truth  beareth  away  the  victory . 

This  man  Zorobabel — the  only  one  whose  name 
is  given — was  an  orator,  an  observer  and  a  philoso¬ 
pher;  he  spoke  not  only  for  his  age,  but  for  all  time. 
He  gave  many  piquant  examples  of  the  terrific 
power  of  women,  in  which  he  is  supported  not  only 
by  Hebrew  history,  but  by  the  novelists  and  drama¬ 
tists  of  the  twentieth  century.  It  was  evident  that 
he  believed  he  could  speak  freely;  for  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  show  the  superiority  of  women  to  the 
king  himself;  and  he  pointed  out  something  that 
has  been  the  theme  of  many  an  American  novel:  that 
men  are  really  the  slaves  of  women. 

Yea,  and  if  men  have  gathered  together  gold  and  silver,  or 
any  other  goodly  thing,  do  they  not  love  a  woman  which  is 
comely  in  favour  and  beauty? 

And  letting  all  those  things  go,  do  they  not  gape,  and  even 
with  open  mouth  fix  their  eyes  fast  on  her;  and  have  not  all 
men  more  desire  unto  her  than  unto  silver  or  gold,  or  any 
goodly  thing  whatsoever? . 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


251 


By  this  also  ye  must  know  that  women  have  dominion  over 
you:  do  ye  not  labour  and  toil,  and  give  and  bring  all  to  the 
woman? . 

Yea,  many  there  be  that  have  run  out  of  their  wits  for 
women,  and  become  servants  for  their  sakes. 

Many  also  have  perished,  have  erred,  and  sinned,  for  women. 

And  now  do  ye  not  believe  me?  is  not  the  king  great  in  his 
power?  do  not  all  regions  fear  to  touch  him? 

Yet  did  I  see  him  and  Apame  the  king’s  concubine,  the 
daughter  of  the  admirable  Bartacus,  sitting  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  king, 

And  taking  the  crown  from  the  king’s  head,  and  setting  it 
upon  her  own  head;  she  also  struck  the  king  with  her  left  hand. 

And  yet  for  all  this  the  king  gaped  and  gazed  upon  her  with 
open  mouth:  if  she  laughed  upon  him,  he  laughed  also:  but  if 
she  took  any  displeasure  at  him,  the  king  was  fain  to  flatter, 
that  she  might  be  reconciled  to  him  again. 

O  ye  men,  how  can  it  be  but  women  should  be  strong,  seeing 
they  do  thus? 

Then  the  king  and  the  princes  looked  one  upon  another :  so  he 
began  to  speak  of  the  truth. 

After  paying  an  eloquent  tribute  to  the  perma¬ 
nence  and  indestructibility  of  truth,  he  burst  out 
passionately : 

Wine  is  wicked,  the  king  is  wicked,  women  are  wicked,  all  the 
children  of  men  are  wicked,  and  such  are  all  their  wicked  works ; 
and  there  is  no  truth  in  them;  in  their  unrighteousness  also  they 
shall  perish. 

As  for  the  truth,  it  endureth,  and  is  always  strong;  it  liveth 
and  conquereth  for  evermore. 

Then  all  the  people  shouted  with  enthusiasm: 

Great  is  Truth y  and  mighty  above  all  things . 


252  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Here  is  a  verdict  ratified  to-day  by  Science,  Art, 
and  Religion. 

In  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  Second  Book  of 
Esdras  we  find  a  number  of  searching  questions, 
questions  that  have  tormented  the  mind  of  man 
since  Adam  began  to  think.  In  a  few  picturesque 
words,  we  are  given  precisely  the  same  conclusions 
arrived  at  in  1781  by  Immanuel  Kant — that  the 
human  mind  cannot  know  the  things  beyond  its 
reach,  although  those  are  the  things  it  most  ardently 
desires  to  understand.  The  angel  Uriel  tells  the 
enquirer  Esdras  that  if  he  cannot  give  the  exact 
weight  of  the  fire,  or  the  precise  measurement  of  the 
blast  of  the  wind,  or  call  again  the  day  that  is  past, 
he  must  not  expect  to  be  able  to  grasp  the  Infinite 
Mind.  And  Uriel,  after  putting  some  more  ques¬ 
tions,  declared: 

For  like  as  the  ground  is  given  unto  the  wood,  and  the  sea 
to  his  floods :  even  so  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  may  under¬ 
stand  nothing  but  that  which  is  upon  the  earth:  and  he  that 
dwelleth  above  the  heavens  may  only  understand  the  things  that 
are  above  the  height  of  the  heavens. 

Esdras  had  expressed  a  sentiment  that  has  driven 
many  in  later  times  to  madness  and  to  suicide. 

It  were  better  that  we  were  not  at  all,  than  that  we  should 
live  still  in  wickedness,  and  to  suffer,  and  not  to  know  wherefore. 

But  Uriel  gave  as  we  see  limitations  to  human 
knowledge,  in  which  he  is  supported  by  many  modern 
writers.  If  I  understand  at  all  that  extraordinary 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


253 


play,  Beyond  Human  Power ,  by  Bjornson,  it  was 
written  to  show  the  danger  and  folly  of  attempting 
to  grasp  things  forever  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
human  intellect.  Yet  the  desire  to  do  so  is  inherent 
in  man,  and  its  negation  is  a  cause  of  pessimism.  As 
Esdras  puts  it,  “We  pass  away  out  of  the  world  as 
grasshoppers,  and  our  life  is  astonishment  and 
fear.” 

The  sorrow  and  desolation  caused  by  the  years 
1914-1918,  the  general  and  the  particular  grief,  one 
will  find  analysed  and  discussed  in  the  tenth  chapter 
of  the  Second  Book  of  Esdras.  A  woman  had  lost 
her  son,  had  refused  the  consolation  offered  by  her 
neighbours,  had  refused  both  meat  and  drink,  had 
refused  to  take  up  the  burden  of  life  again,  and  had 
insisted  that  she  would  spend  the  remaining  mo¬ 
ments  of  her  time  on  earth  in  wailing  and  lamenta¬ 
tion,  living  only  in  the  memory  of  her  son.  For 
this  she  is  sharply  rebuked  by  Esdras,  who  told  her 
that  in  the  universal  distress  of  the  whole  nation, 
the  entire  country  being  in  mourning,  she  must  not 
indulge  in  selfish  sorrow.  There  was  work  to  be 
done,  and  she  must  live  out  her  own  life,  and  not 
throw  it  away. 

For  ask  the  earth,  and  she  shall  tell  thee,  that  it  is  she  which 
ought  to  mourn  for  the  fall  of  so  many  that  grow  upon  her. 

For  out  of  her  came  all  the  first,  and  out  of  her  shall  all 
others  come,  and  behold,  they  walk  almost  all  into  destruction, 
and  a  multitude  of  them  is  utterly  rooted  out. 

Who  then  should  make  more  mourning  than  she,  that  hath 
lost  so  great  a  multitude;  and  not  thoi},  which  art  sorry  for  one. 


254  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  healing  effects  of  Nature  have  never  been 
more  wisely  set  forth;  in  spite  of  appalling  losses 
and  unspeakable  disasters,  nature  goes  quietly  on 
with  her  eternal  work  of  reparation  and  of  new 
growth. 

Now  therefore  keep  thy  sorrow  to  thyself,  and  bear  with  a 
good  courage  that  which  hath  befallen  thee. 

For  if  thou  shalt  acknowledge  the  determination  of  God  to 
be  just,  thou  shalt  both  receive  thy  son  in  time,  and  shalt  be 
commended  among  women. 

While  it  would  be  both  futile  and  flippant  to  attempt 
to  minimise  the  grief  of  a  parent  who  lost  a  son  in 
the  war,  I  believe  that  no  one  has  a  right  to  live  in 
a  tomb.  No  one  should  live  only  in  the  memory 
of  those  who  are  gone;  let  the  vanished  figure  be 
an  influence  rather  than  an  annihilator;  let  it  lift  up, 
rather  than  crush.  For  not  only  is  the  gift  of  life 
too  precious  to  be  thrown  away,  there  is  always  work 
to  be  done.  The  tender-hearted  Teacher  was 
neither  indifferent  nor  cruel  when  He  said,  “Let  the 
dead  bury  their  dead,  and  come  and  follow  me.” 

It  is  rather  curious  that  in  the  Bible  so  little  men¬ 
tion  is  made  of  family  pets.  Considering  the  exalted 
place  of  the  Dog  in  literature,  and  how  in  Sanskrit 
tales  and  in  Homer  he  was  so  beloved  and  re¬ 
spected,  why  is  it  that  the  Hebrews  ignored  him? 
Both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament  the  word  dog 
is  a  term  of  reproach,  and  although  there  certainly 
were  family  dogs  in  Palestine — -they  ate  of  the 
crumbs  that  fell  from  the  master’s  table,  and  licked 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


255 


the  sores  of  Lazarus  the  beggar — they  are  never 
spoken  of  affectionately,  nor  do  they  play  any  part 
in  the  daily  life  of  man.  For  this  reason,  the  sole 
reference  that  I  can  remember  of  a  companionable 
dog,  found  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Tobit,  is  worth 
recording : 

So  they  went  their  way,  and  the  dog  went  after  them. 

The  book  of  Tobit  also  contains  much  sound 
advice,  especially  in  Chapters  IV  and  XII. 

It  is  good  to  keep  close  the  secret  of  a  king,  but  it  is  honour¬ 
able  to  reveal  the  works  of  God.  Do  that  which  is  good,  and 
no  evil  shall  touch  you. 

In  dramatic  intensity,  the  story  of  Judith  rivals 
that  of  Esther.  The  Assyrian  king  sent  out  Gen¬ 
eral  Holofernes,  with  an  enormous  army,  which 
conquered  and  laid  waste  many  cities  and  farms; 
when  the  victorious  host  reached  Syria,  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  were  in  mortal  terror.  Most  of  the  coast 
towns  threw  open  their  gates,  paid  tribute,  and 
received  him  with  song  and  dance. 

But  in  Jerusalem,  where  the  children  of  Judah  had 
only  lately  returned  from  captivity,  it  was  decided 
to  resist  the  invader;  they  fortified  the  mountains 
round  about,  and  prepared  to  withstand  a  siege. 
Holofernes  heard  of  their  determination,  and  he 
asked  Captain  Achior,  the  Ammonite,  who  these 
people  were,  and  why  they  did  not  surrender  like 
the  people  of  the  west.  Achior  gave  him  briefly 
the  whole  history  of  the  children  of  Israel  from 


256  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


the  days  of  Moses  to  the  present  date.  Achior  said 
their  strength  and  their  weakness  depended  entirely 
on  whether  they  were  or  were  not  true  to  their  God; 
and  he  advised  finding  out,  for  if  they  are  now  true 
to  Jehovah,  said  he,  you  can  do  nothing  with  them. 
Their  God  will  fight  for  them. 

Honest  Achior  was  severely  rebuked  for  his  warn¬ 
ing,  and  Holofernes  insolently  said  that  he  would 
make  the  mountains  drunk  with  Jewish  blood  and 
choke  their  fields  with  dead  bodies.  General  Holo¬ 
fernes  then  treated  Achior  exactly  as  Abraham 
Lincoln  treated  Vallandingham;  he  sent  him  into 
the  enemy’s  camp,  where  the  Jews  received  him 
gladly,  comforted  him,  and  listened  with  intense 
interest  to  his  report  of  the  advancing  host. 

Holofernes  drew  near  to  the  city  of  Bethulia, 
and  cut  off  the  water  supply,  which  came  from  with¬ 
out  the  walls;  so  that  the  inhabitants  were  soon 
suffering  from  both  hunger  and  thirst. 

Judith  was  a  beautiful  widow,  whose  husband  had 
died  from  sunstroke.  For  three  years  she  had  re¬ 
mained  absolutely  faithful  to  his  memory,  and 
although  by  reason  of  her  beauty  and  wealth  she 
was  much  sought  after,  she  seemed  indifferent  to 
all  men.  “And  there  was  none  that  gave  her  an  ill 
word;  for  she  feared  God  greatly.” 

The  people  told  Ozias,  the  mayor  of  the  town, 
that  he  must  surrender  to  Holofernes;  he  pleaded 
for  five  days  more.  Judith  sent  for  the  chiefs  in 
the  city  government,  and  told  them  to  trust  in  the 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


257 


Lord,  reminding  them  of  His  favours  to  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob.  She  then  said  that  she  and  her 
maid  were  going  out  of  the  city  gate  that  night,  and 
that  Ozias  must  not  reveal  the  fact  nor  make  any 
enquiry. 

Then  Judith,  after  a  long  prayer,  took  off  her 
widow’s  weeds,  washed  her  body  all  over  with  water, 
anointed  herself  with  perfume,  arranged  her  hair  in 
the  most  attractive  style,  and  put  on  her  “garments 
of  gladness;”  this  last  phrase  being  perhaps  the 
origin  of  the  familiar  term  in  American  slang.  She 
“decked  herself  bravely,  to  allure  the  eyes  of  men,” 
and,  accompanied  by  her  maid,  she  went  straight  to 
the  Assyrian  camp.  The  soldiers  were  instantly  cap¬ 
tivated  by  her  beauty  and  grace  of  manner,  and  she 
informed  them  that  she  must  see  Holofernes  as  she 
had  a  plan  by  which  he  could  capture  the  town  from 
which  she  had  just  escaped.  So  like  a  future 
Monna  Vanna,  she  went  into  the  tent  of  the  alien. 

As  she  went,  the  soldiers  said  to  one  another, 
“Who  would  despise  this  people,  that  have  among 
them  such  women?”  And  their  desire  for  conquest 
was  considerably  sharpened  by  the  sight  of  her. 

General  Holofernes  came  forth  from  his  tent  in 
all  his  glory,  with  silver  lamps  going  before  him. 
Judith  had  not  the  slightest  difficulty  in  twisting 
the  great  man  around  her  little  finger,  for  her  beauty 
shone  out  in  the  lamplight,  and  her  words  of  deceit 
and  flattery  possessed  him  immediately.  He  said 
fatuously,  “And  now  thou  art  both  beautiful  in  thy 


258  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


countenance,  and  witty  in  thy  words.”  For  three 
days  she  kept  him  at  arm's  length,  with  the  thrust 
and  parry  of  skilful  language,  but  finally  she  con¬ 
sented  to  dine  with  him  in  his  tent. 

And  Holofernes  took  great  delight  in  her,  and  drank  much 
more  wine  than  he  had  drunk  at  any  time  in  one  day  since  he 
was  born. 

All  the  guards  and  attendants  -were  sent  away, 
the  tent  was  closed,  and  Judith  was  left  alone  with 
Holofernes,  who  had  fallen  into  a  drunken  sleep. 
She  came  to  his  couch,  drew  his  sword,  prayed  for 
strength,  and  with  her  left  hand  seized  the  hair  of 
his  head,  and  with  her  right  hand  smote  him  in  the 
neck  twice  with  all  her  might,  so  that  his  head  was 
severed  from  his  body.  Carrying  the  head  in  a 
bag,  she  and  her  maid  hastened  to  the  city  of 
Bethulia. 

When  she  was  still  afar  off,  Judith  gave  a  loud, 
triumphant  call  to  the  watchman  at  the  gate,  so 
loud  that  many  in  the  city  were  awakened,  and 
rushed  to  the  walls.  There  they  made  a  huge  bon¬ 
fire  for  a  light,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  glare  Judith 
dramatically  held  aloft  the  head  of  Holofernes.  It 
was  a  great  scene,  never  to  be  forgotten  in  the 
annals  of  the  town. 

It  is  significant  of  the  immense  respect  that  the 
citizens  held  for  her  that  every  word  of  her  story 
was  accepted  without  qualification.  There  were  no 
doubters,  like  the  husband  of  Monna  Vanna.  Judith 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


259 


had  taken  the  head  of  Holofernes  without  paying 
anything  for  it — except  the  crucifixion  of  her  nerves. 

Then  all  the  women  of  Israel  ran  together  to  see  her,  and 
blessed  her,  and  made  a  dance  among  them  for  her:  and  she 
took  branches  in  her  hand,  and  gave  also  to  the  women  that 
were  with  her. 

And  they  put  a  garland  of  olive  upon  her  and  her  maid  that 
was  with  her,  and  she  went  before  all  the  people  in  the  dance, 
leading  all  the  women:  and  all  the  men  of  Israel  followed  in 
their  armour  with  garlands,  and  with  songs  in  their  mouths. 

Judith  received  frequent  offers  of  marriage  and 
refused  them  all,  remaining  constant  to  the  memory 
of  her  husband,  who  must  have  been  an  extraor¬ 
dinary  character  to  leave  so  ineffaceable  an  impres¬ 
sion.  Perhaps  Judith  also  thought  that  her  visit  to 
the  Assyrian  camp  might  disturb  the  thoughts  of  a 
new  husband,  even  though  her  absolute  innocence 
was  universally  accepted.  One  can  never  predict 
the  subtle  reaches  of  the  poison  of  a  jealous  imagina¬ 
tion.  Perhaps  she  had  seen  enough  of  men.  As  it 
was,  she  was  free  and  independent,  the  First  Lady 
of  the  town.  It  is  pleasant  to  observe  that  she 
made  her  servant  a  free  woman,  because  of  her 
courage  and  fidelity  in  accompanying  her  mistress 
to  the  enemy’s  lines.  Judith  lived  to  be  a  hundred 
and  five  years  old,  and  was  buried  beside  her 
husband. 

She  is  one  of  the  national  heroines.  As  Esther 
saved  her  people  by  winning  the  favour  of  their 
Persian  ruler,  so  Judith  saved  them  by  beheading 


260  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


their  enemy.  It  is  worth  remembering  that  although 
they  were  both  clever  and  accomplished  women,  they 
won  their  triumphs  by  their  personal  beauty,  and  by 
their  confidence  in  it.  Of  Judith,  the  account  says, 
“Her  beauty  took  his  mind  prisoner.”  And  the 
all-but-miraculous  ability  of  women  to  look  one 
emotion  and  feel  another,  something  forever  beyond 
the  reach  of  men,  is  well  expressed  in  the  apocryphal 
addition  to  the  book  of  Esther : 

And  she  was  ruddy  through  the  perfection  of  her  beauty,  and 
her  countenance  was  cheerful  and  very  amiable:  but  her  heart 
was  in  anguish  for  fear. 

Her  terror  was  kept  down,  for  she  actually  con¬ 
trolled  the  flow  of  her  blood  by  the  power  of  her 
will;  just  as  the  great  actress  Duse  could  blush 
whenever  she  wished. 

The  book  of  Judith  resembles  the  book  of  Esther 
again  in  being  patriotic  propaganda,  and  was  doubt¬ 
less  taught  to  the  Hebrew  children  in  the  schools. 

Painters  and  dramatists  have  made  free  use  of 
Judith  and  Holofernes;  the  latest  play  on  this  theme 
is  by  Arnold  Bennett,  who  has  managed  the  dialogue 
with  his  accustomed  skill  and  vivacity. 

In  the  Book  of  the  Wisdom  of  Solomon,  which 
contains  many  passages  of  striking  and  unexpected 
beauty,  there  is,  in  the  thirteenth  chapter,  a  remark¬ 
able  discussion  of  the  materialists,  in  which  they 
are  praised  for  their  love  of  beauty  and  strength, 
and  condemned  because  they  do  not  penetrate 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


261 


through  the  wonders  of  nature  to  the  Divine  Artist. 
This  passage  is  surely  as  applicable  in  the  twentieth 
century  as  when  first  written. 

Surely  vain  are  all  men  by  nature,  who  are  ignorant  of  God, 
and  could  not  out  of  the  good  things  that  are  seen  know  him 
that  is:  neither  by  considering  the  works  did  they  acknowledge 
the  workmaster; 

But  deemed  either  fire,  or  wind,  or  the  swift  air,  or  the  circle 
of  the  stars,  or  the  violent  water,  or  the  lights  of  heaven,  to  be 
the  gods  which  govern  the  world. 

With  whose  beauty  if  they  being  delighted  took  them  to  be 
gods;  let  them  know  how  much  better  the  Lord  of  them  is: 
for  the  first  author  of  beauty  hath  created  them. 

But  if  they  were  astonished  at  their  power  and  virtue,  let  them 
understand  by  them,  how  much  mightier  is  he  that  made  them. 

For  by  the  greatness  and  beauty  of  the  creatures  proportion- 
ably  the  maker  of  them  is  seen. 

But  yet  for  this  they  are  the  less  to  be  blamed:  for  they  per- 
adventure  err,  seeking  God,  and  desirous  to  find  him. 

For  being  conversant  in  his  works  they  search  him  diligently, 
and  believe  their  sight:  because  the  things  are  beautiful  that 
are  seen. 

Howbeit  neither  are  they  to  be  pardoned. 

For  if  they  were  able  to  know  so  much,  that  they  could  aim 
at  the  world;  how  did  they  not  sooner  find  out  the  Lord  thereof? 

The  Book  of  Ecclesiasticus  was  written  by  a  man 
of  the  world,  and  is  filled  not  only  with  wisdom, 
but  with  a  dry  humour.  Evidently  opera  and  con¬ 
cert  singers  were  then  vain  and  difficult,  and  it  was 
better  to  have  a  row  of  footlights  always  between 
them  and  the  average  man,  for  they  seldom  im¬ 
proved  on  acquaintance.  The  queen  of  song  off  the 


262  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


stage  was  often  a  conceited  and  petulant  child.  This 
has,  of  course,  all  been  changed  in  our  time.  But 
in  the  ninth  chapter,  we  are  told: 

Use  not  much  the  company  of  a  woman  that  is  a  singer,  lest 
thou  be  taken  with  her  attempts. 

Longevity  was  about  the  same  then  as  now;  for 
in  Chapter  XVIII,  we  read,  “The  number  of  a  man's 
days  at  the  most  are  an  hundred  years.” 

Those  who  talk  all  the  time  are  justly  regarded 
as  among  the  most  pestilential  curses  of  the  world; 
they  were  no  more  popular  then  than  now,  for  in 
Chapter  XXV  it  is  said,  “As  the  climbing  up  a  sandy 
way  is  to  the  feet  of  the  aged,  so  is  a  wife  full  of 
words  to  a  quiet  man.” 

The  author  of  this  book  knew  well  that  etiquette 
Was  the  next  thing  to  godliness;  there  is  no  doubt 
that  bad  table  manners  have  wrecked  many  homes, 
quenched  the  fire  of  love,  and  destroyed  the  good 
influence  of  many  pious  folks.  In  Chapter  XXXI 
we  receive  a  lesson  in  behaviour  at  meals,  in  which 
greediness  and  the  famous  “boarding-house  reach” 
are  both  condemned.  No  woman  should  marry  a 
man  until  she  has  seen  him  eating. 

If  thou  sit  at  a  bountiful  table,  be  not  greedy  upon  it,  and  say 
not,  There  is  much  meat  on  it.  ... 

Stretch  not  thine  hand  whithersoever  it  looketh,  and  thrust  it 
not  with  him  into  the  dish.  .  .  . 

Eat,  as  it  becometh  a  man,  those  things  which  are  set  before 
thee;  and  devour  not,  lest  thou  be  hated. 


THE  APOCRYPHA  263 

Leave  off  first  for  manners’  sake;  and  be  not  unsatiable,  lest 
thou  offend. 

When  thou  sittest  among  many,  reach  not  thine  hand  out  first 
of  all. 

Apparently  there  were  times  when  politeness  forced 
a  gentleman  to  eat  at  his  host’s  table,  either  when 
he  was  not  hungry,  or  when  the  particular  food  was 
unpalatable.  In  the  following  verse  a  ready  and 
easy  way  to  preserve  both  one’s  manners  and  one’s 
health  is  given : 

And  if  thou  hast  been  forced  to  eat,  go  forth,  vomit,  and 
thou  shalt  have  rest. 

An  excellent  method  with  parsnips. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  the  following  advice  given 
in  this  same  chapter  has  not  been  followed  by  the 
world;  if  it  had  been  heeded,  we  should  not  have 
been  obliged  to  adopt  in  America  a  certain  Consti¬ 
tutional  Amendment. 

Wine  is  as  good  as  life  to  a  man,  if  it  be  drunk  moderately; 
what  life  is  then  to  a  man  without  wine?  for  it  was  made  to 
make  men  glad. 

Wine  measurably  drunk  and  in  season  bringeth  gladness  of 
the  heart,  and  cheerfulness  of  the  mind: 

But  wine  drunken  with  excess  maketh  bitterness  of  the  mind, 
with  brawling  and  quarrelling. 

The  author  was  a  “forward-looking  man,”  for  in 
this  verse  in  the  thirty-third  chapter  he  seems  to 
have  foreseen  a  domestic  problem  in  our  time: 

If  thou  have  a  servant,  entreat  him  as  a  brother:  for  thou 


264  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


hast  need  of  him,  as  of  thine  own  soul:  if  thou  entreat  him 
evil,  and  he  run  from  thee,  which  way  wilt  thou  go  to  seek  him  ? 

Considering  the  towering  position  in  modern  life 
and  in  modern  fiction  held  by  the  physician,  the 
opening  words  of  Chapter  XXXVIII  are  significant: 

Honour  a  physician  with  the  honour  due  unto  him  for  the  uses 
which  ye  may  have  of  him :  for  the  Lord  hath  created  him.  .  .  . 

The  skill  of  the  physician  shall  lift  up  his  head:  and  in  the 
sight  of  great  men  he  shall  be  in  admiration. 

All  hero-worshippers,  of  whom  I  am  one,  will 
receive  encouragement  and  stimulation  from  the 
magnificent  passage  in  Chapter  XLIV,  beginning, 
“Let  us  now  praise  famous  men.”  In  these  glorious 
verses  homage  is  paid  to  statesmen,  prophets,  teach¬ 
ers,  poets,  musicians,  philanthropists:  “all  these 
were  honoured  in  their  generations,  and  were  the 
glory  of  their  times.”  Then  follows  an  eloquent 
tribute  to  all  the  unknown  humble  men  and  women 
who  have  in  their  days  on  earth  done  deeds  of  kind¬ 
ness  and  mercy. 

Occasionally,  in  the  midst  of  passages  of  shrewd 
wisdom,  there  comes  in  the  style  a  sudden  noble 
elevation : 

O  Death,  how  bitter  is  the  remembrance  of  thee  to  a  man 
that  liveth  at  rest  in  his  possessions,  unto  the  man  that  hath 
nothing  to  vex  him,  and  that  hath  prosperity  in  all  things:  yea, 
unto  him  that  is  yet  able  to  receive  meat! 

O  Death,  acceptable  is  thy  sentence  unto  the  needy,  and  unto 
him  whose  strength  faileth,  that  is  now  in  the  last  age,  and  is 


THE  APOCRYPHA  265 

vexed  with  all  things,  and  to  him  that  despaireth,  and  hath 
lost  patience! 

Perhaps  no  part  of  the  Apocrypha  has  had  more 
influence  on  the  art  of  painting  than  the  story  of 
Susanna,  which  has  a  book  to  itself.  In  European 
galleries,  one  becomes  weary  of  the  eternal  repeti¬ 
tion  of  the  two  old  bearded  peepers — Susanna  and 
the  elders  are  much  better  known  on  canvas  than 
they  are  in  the  original  narrative,  which  has  also 
produced  a  proverb  universally  quoted  whose  source 
is  all  but  unknown.  The  story  brings  out  clearly 
the  perverted  folly  of  these  aged  judges,  for  there 
is  no  fool  like  an  old  fool.  When  they  attempted 
to  convict  Susanna  in  the  court,  a  young  man  named 
Daniel  appeared,  who  is  rather  absurdly  called  “a 
young  youth,”  but  whose  method  of  ascertaining 
truth  was  the  reverse  of  absurd.  He  turned  the 
tables,  saved  the  virtuous  lady,  and  destroyed  the 
elders. 

I  suppose  that  very  few  when  they  read  or  quote 
from  The  Merchant  of  Venicey  “A  Daniel  come  to 
judgment!”  realise  that  it  is  not  from  the  book  of 
Daniel,  but  from  the  book  of  Susanna,  that  Shake¬ 
speare  obtained  his  example. 

To  those  who  are  accustomed  to  make  a  distinc¬ 
tion  between  sacred  and  profane  history,  the  First 
Book  of  The  Maccabees  will  produce  something 
akin  to  a  shock;  for  it  opens  with  an  account  of 
Alexander  the  Great. 


266  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


And  it  happened,  after  that  Alexander,  son  of  Philip,  the 
Macedonian,  who  came  out  of  the  land  of  Chettiim,  had 
smitten  Darius,  king  of  the  Persians  and  Medes,  that  he  reigned 
in  his  stead,  the  first  over  Greece. 

And  made  many  wars,  and  won  many  strongholds,  and  slew 
the  kings  of  the  earth. 

And  went  through  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  took  spoils 
of  many  nations,  insomuch  that  the  earth  was  quiet  before  him ; 
whereupon  he  was  exalted,  and  his  heart  was  lifted  up. 

And  he  gathered  a  mighty  strong  host,  and  ruled  over  coun¬ 
tries,  and  nations,  and  kings,  who  became  tributaries  unto  him. 

And  after  these  things  he  fell  sick,  and  perceived  that  he 
should  die. 

The  history  of  many  years  is  then  summarised  in 
a  sentence,  until  we  come  to  the  villain  of  the  book, 
Antiochus  IV,  surnamed  Epiphanes,  king  of  Syria. 
He  endeavoured  to  put  in  place  of  Elebrew  customs, 
worship  and  ritual,  the  Greek  ideas  and  methods;  he 
was  resisted  by  the  Jews,  who  found  a  great  patri¬ 
otic  leader  in  Judas  Maccabeus.  The  wars  between 
Judas  and  the  king  took  place  in  the  second  century 
before  Christ,  and  are  the  subject  of  the  First  Book 
of  the  Maccabees.  The  narrative  is  exceedingly 
valuable  as  history,  and  of  course  is  written  from 
the  patriotic  point  of  view.  Judas  Maccabeus  was 
one  of  five  sons  of  Mattathias,  a  sturdy  orthodox 
Jew,  who  stoutly  resisted  the  victorious  king,  and 
called  upon  the  fainthearted  Hebrews  to  remember 
all  that  Jehovah  had  done  for  them  since  the  time 
of  Abraham.  It  is  interesting  there  as  everywhere 
to  see  how  powerful  a  force  is  national  tradition — 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


267 


how  every  heroic  man  and  every  heroic  deed  stands 
up  out  of  the  long  past,  as  a  living  force. 

When  Mattathias  came  to  die,  he  gathered  his 
sons  around  him,  and  told  them  of  the  might  of 
faith. 

Fear  not  then  the  words  of  a  sinful  man:  for  his  glory  shall 
be  dung  and  worms. 

Today  he  shall  be  lifted  up,  but  tomorrow  he  shall  not  be 
found,  because  he  is  returned  into  his  dust,  and  his  thought  is 
come  to  nothing. 

Wherefore,  ye  my  sons,  be  valiant,  and  shew  yourselves  men 
in  the  behalf  of  the  law;  for  by  it  shall  ye  obtain  glory.  .  .  . 

As  for  Judas  Maccabeus,  he  hath  been  mighty  and  strong, 
even  from  his  youth  up:  let  him  be  your  captain,  and  fight  the 
battle  of  the  people. 

The  accounts  of  the  numerous  battles  that  follow 
are  spirited  and  dramatic;  and  the  speeches  of 
Judas  are  as  fine  as  his  deeds.  After  the  death  of 
Antiochus,  his  son  came  up  and  besieged  Jerusalem, 
with  a  hundred  thousand  infantry,  twenty  thousand 
cavalry,  and  thirty-two  trained  elephants.  The  way 
these  huge  beasts  were  used  in  battle  is  interesting; 
they  were  shown  the  blood  of  grapes  and  mulberries 
to  excite  their  fighting  spirit. 

And  upon  the  beasts  were  there  strong  towers  of  wood,  which 
covered  every  one  of  them,  and  were  girt  fast  unto  them  with 
devices:  there  were  also  upon  every  one  two  and  thirty  strong 
men,  that  fought  upon  them,  beside  the  Indian  that  ruled  him. 

In  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  First  Book  there  is 


268  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


an  interesting  reference  to  the  character  and  prestige 
of  the  Romans. 

Now  Judas  had  heard  of  the  fame  of  the  Romans,  that  they 
were  mighty  and  valiant  men,  and  such  as  would  lovingly  accept 
all  that  joined  themselves  unto  them,  and  make  a  league  of 
amity  with  them  ; 

And  that  they  were  men  of  great  valour. 

Then  follows  a  recital  of  the  conquest  of  the  earth 
by  the  Romans,  how  they  had  subdued  mighty  kings, 
and  all  nations  that  resisted  them,  so  that  they  really 
were  the  men  of  destiny. 

Yet  for  all  this  none  of  them  wore  a  crown,  or  was  clothed 
in  purple,  to  be  magnified  thereby: 

Moreover  how  they  had  made  for  themselves  a  senate  house, 
wherein  three  hundred  and  twenty  men  sat  in  council  daily, 
consulting  always  for  the  people,  to  the  end  they  might  be  well 
ordered: 

And  that  they  committed  their  government  to  one  man  every 
year,  who  ruled  over  all  their  country,  and  that  all  were 
obedient  to  that  one,  and  that  there  was  neither  envy  nor 
emulation  among  them. 

Therefore  a  treaty  was  made  between  the  Romans 
and  the  Jews.  By  these  few  verses  which  describe 
the  Romans  as  they  were  appraised  by  aliens,  we 
see  how  the  genius  of  that  people  for  both  war  and 
government  was  widely  understood;  and  how  it 
accounted  for  the  power  of  Rome;  it  is  by  strikingly 
similar  methods  that  the  British  Empire  is  the 
mightiest  force  in  the  world  today.  The  Romans 
appealed  to  Judas  Maccabeus  as  an  eminently 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


269 


reasonable  nation,  men  with  whom  a  sensible  man 
could  talk  and  do  business. 

In  the  second  chapter  of  the  Second  Book  of  the 
Maccabees  there  is  a  highly  diverting  passage,  which 
ought  to  be  read  and  deeply  pondered  by  every 
person  who  writes  a  book  or  tells  a  story.  Nearly 
all  books,  narratives,  articles,  sermons,  and  speeches 
are  too  long;  nearly  all  could  have  been  improved 
if  their  makers  had  practiced  the  divine  art  of 
omission  and  selection;  if  they  had  had  an  instinctive 
sense  of  what  is  important  and  what  is  superfluous; 
if  they  had  known  the  value  of  emphasis;  if  they 
had  felt  any  mercy. 

It  appears  that  the  writer  had  before  him  a  long 
history  in  five  books,  and  he  wisely  and  mercifully 
conceived  it  to  be  his  duty  to  condense  these  five 
books  into  one.  He  well  knew  the  task  was  one  not 
lightly  to  be  undertaken;  that  it  would  cost  him 
immense  labour  and  anxiety;  but  he  had  compassion 
on  his  readers,  and  determined  to  undertake  the 
beneficent  work  of  abridgment.  This  is  the  delight¬ 
ful  way  in  which  he  writes  his  explanatory  preface, 
so  delightful  a  way  that  our  hearts  warm  toward 
him,  for  we  have  all  suffered  greatly  from  long- 
winded  orators  and  voluminous  penmen. 

All  these  things,  I  say,  being  declared  by  Jason  of  Cyrene 
in  five  books,  we  will  assay  to  abridge  in  one  volume. 

For  considering  the  infinite  number,  and  the  difficulty  which 
they  find  that  desire  to  look  into  the  narrations  of  the  story, 
for  the  variety  of  the  matter, 


270  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


We  have  been  careful,  that  they  that  will  read  may  have  de¬ 
light,  and  that  they  that  are  desirous  to  commit  to  memory 
might  have  ease,  and  that  all  into  whose  hands  it  comes  might 
have  profit. 

Therefore  to  us,  that  have  taken  upon  us  this  painful  labour 
of  abridging,  it  was  not  easy,  but  a  matter  of  sweat  and 
watching; 

Even  as  it  is  no  ease  unto  him  that  prepareth  a  banquet,  and 
seeketh  the  benefit  of  others:  yet  for  the  pleasuring  of  many  we 
will  undertake  gladly  this  great  pains; 

Leaving  to  the  author  the  exact  handling  of  every  particular, 
and  labouring  to  follow  the  rules  of  an  abridgment  .  .  . 

H  ere  then  will  we  begin  the  story:  only  adding  thus  much 
to  that  which  hath  been  said,  that  it  is  a  foolish  thing  to  make 
a  long  prologue,  and  to  be  short  in  the  story  itself. 

It  is  curious  that  in  those  days  we  should  find  an 
editor  of  such  admirable  judgment  and  temper,  and 
with  that  fine  flavour  of  humour.  He  is  a  model. 

The  style  of  the  abridgment  is  spirited  and  strong, 
carrying  the  reader  irresistibly.  There  are  pungent 
phrases  here  and  there,  as  “one  Auranus  being  the 
leader,  a  man  far  gone  in  years,  and  no  less  in  folly.” 

In  the  description  of  the  Hebrew  martyrs,  in 
Chapters  VI  and  VII,  the  story  is  dramatic  in  the 
extreme,  and  must  have  stirred  the  blood  and  cour¬ 
age  of  the  Jews  for  many  generations.  It  seems 
that  a  victorious  king  endeavoured  to  make  the  cap¬ 
tives  eat  swine’s  flesh,  strictly  forbidden  by  the 
Mosaic  Law.  He  promised  them  every  favour  and 
kindness  if  they  would  submit,  and  the  most  horrible 
tortures  if  they  refused.  Once  more,  as  in  other 
cases  in  history,  we  see  how  the  individual  will  is 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


271 


stronger  not  only  than  the  fear  of  death,  but 
stronger  than  the  fear  of  frightful  bodily  and  mental 
anguish.  The  tormentors  took  Eleazar,  an  old 
scribe,  and  forcibly  fed  him  with  pork;  but  he  spit 
it  forth,  and  gladly  embraced  torture.  Then  the 
executioners,  being  fond  of  the  splendid  old  man, 
suggested  that  he  could  pretend  to  eat  it,  while 
really  eating  pure  food  secretly  provided;  but,  to 
the  glory  not  only  of  his  nation,  but  of  humanity,  he 
replied : 

For  it  becometh  not  our  age,  said  he,  in  any  wise  to  dis¬ 
semble,  whereby  many  young  persons  might  think  that  Eleazar, 
being  fourscore  years  and  ten,  were  now  gone  to  a  strange 
religion, 

And  so  they  through  mine  hypocrisy,  and  desire  to  live  a 
little  time  and  a  moment  longer,  should  be  deceived  by  me,  and 
I  get  a  stain  to  mine  old  age,  and  make  it  abominable. 

He  therefore  went  to  the  torture  with  a  firm  step 
and  a  cheerful  face. 

Then  the  king  took  seven  brothers  and  their 
mother  together.  Each  young  man  in  turn  was  tor¬ 
tured  so  horribly  that  it  makes  the  flesh  of  the  reader 
creep,  for  it  is  impossible  to  read  of  such  hellish 
devices  without  actual  physical  suffering.  They  were 
every  one  given  the  chance  to  recant;  but  they  de¬ 
clined,  and  were  slowly  burned  and  flayed  and 
hacked  to  pieces  with  their  mother  looking  on. 

But  the  mother  was  marvellous  above  all,  and  worthy  of 
honourable  memory:  for  when  she  saw  her  seven  sons  slain 
within  the  space  of  one  day,  she  bare  it  with  a  good  courage, 
because  of  the  hope  that  she  had  in  the  Lord. 


272  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Yea,  she  exhorted  every  one  of  them  in  her  own  language, 
filled  with  courageous  spirits;  and  stirring  up  her  womanish 
thoughts  with  a  manly  stomach. 

When  there  was  only  one  left,  the  youngest  son, 
the  king  asked  the  mother  to  urge  him  to  conform 
so  that  his  life  might  be  spared: 

And  when  he  had  exhorted  her  with  many  words,  she  promised 
him  that  she  would  counsel  her  son. 

But  she,  bowing  herself  toward  him,  laughing  the  cruel  tyrant 
in  the  face,  spake  in  her  country  language  on  this  manner: 
O  my  son,  have  pity  upon  me  that  bare  thee  nine  months  in  my 
womb,  and  gave  thee  suck  three  years,  and  nourished  thee,  and 
brought  thee  up  unto  this  age,  and  endured  the  troubles  of 
education. 

Then  she  counselled  him  to  stand  fast,  and  be 
worthy  of  his  dead  brothers,  whose  mangled  corpses 
were  before  them.  He  then  defied  the  king,  and  had 
the  worst  death  of  all;  he  was  quickly  followed  by 
his  mother. 

At  the  end  of  the  book,  the  abridging  historian 
concludes  quaintly : 

And  if  I  have  done  well,  and  as  is  fitting  the  story,  it  is  that 
which  I  desired:  but  if  slenderly  and  meanly,  it  is  that  which  I 
could  attain  unto. 

For  as  it  is  hurtful  to  drink  wine  or  water  alone;  and  as  wine 
mingled  with  water  is  pleasant,  and  deiighteth  the  taste:  even 
so  speech  finely  framed  deiighteth  the  ears  of  them  that  read 
the  story.  And  here  shall  be  an  end. 

Whether  drinking  water  alone  was  then  hurtful 
or  not,  it  is  true  that  monotony  in  everything, 


THE  APOCRYPHA 


273 


whether  in  food,  drink,  or  rhetoric,  becomes  dull; 
and  in  this  author  we  have  an  early  example  of  a 
thoroughly  self-conscious  literary  artist,  who  prac¬ 
ticed  composition  with  pain  and  pleasure;  the  pain 
of  strenuous  effort,  and  the  pleasure  of  devotion  to 
his  work. 


XI 

WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY 


Contemporary  Value  of  the  Book  of  Proverbs — The 
Same  Channel — Is  Experience  Really  the  Best 
Teacher f — Human  Wisdom — The  Practical  Guide- 
Book  with  a  Touch  of  Poetry — Philosophy  of  Modera¬ 
tion-Quotable  Value — Various  Sins  and  Remedies — 
Disarmament — Diplomatic  Value  of  Silence — Per¬ 
sonal  Honour — Shrewish  Women — Inopportune 
Friends — Wisdom  of  Distrusting  Oneself — Ulysses 
and  the  Sirens — St.  Paul's  Quotation — The  Wonder¬ 
ful  Words  of  Agur — Poetry  and  Mystery — The  Ideal 
Woman — The  Book  of  Ecclesiastes — Koheleth — Pro¬ 
fessor  Jastrow — Philosophy  of  Pessimism — Chekhov's 
Monologue — John  Galsworthy — The  Preacher  and  the 
Scribe — Modernity  of  this  Book — Compared  with 
Omar  Khayyam — Vanity  of  Vanities — Fallacy  of  Pes¬ 
simism — The  Splendid  Poetry — The  Last  Chapter — 
Sorrows  of  Old  Age — The  Admonition  of  the  Scribe . 


XI 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  scientific  value 
of  the  cosmogony  of  Genesis,  however  people  may 
disagree  as  to  the  historicity  of  the  deeds  of  Elisha, 
no  matter  how  sceptical  may  be  the  general  attitude 
toward  the  story  of  Jonah — the  Book  of  Proverbs  is 
not  obsolete.  It  was  written  a  long  while  ago,  but 
is  more  contemporary  than  this  morning’s  news¬ 
paper.  It  cannot  become  demoded;  it  has  been,  is, 
and  always  will  be  true;  for  it  is  founded  on  the 
eternal  base  of  human  nature;  less  subject  to  change 
than  the  solid  rocks. 

Mark  Twain  used  to  say  that  the  Mississippi 
River  had  the  habit  of  changing  its  channel  over¬ 
night;  so  that  on  each  trip  the  pilot  must  be  alert. 
But  the  channel  of  human  conduct  has  never  altered; 
the  chart  therefore  remains  the  same.  In  a  world 
where  we  know  so  little,  it  is  interesting  to  remember 
that  for  the  main  lines  of  action  and  behaviour  our 
knowledge  is  sufficient.  Wisdom  and  folly  are  now 
what  they  always  have  been.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
be  a  fool  in  order  to  discover  the  results  of  folly. 
There  are  thousands  of  fools  today  sufficiently  oblig- 

277 


278  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


ing  to  act  as  examples,  lending  freely  their  experi¬ 
ence  to  the  profit  of  observers. 

It  is  often  said  that  Experience  is  the  best  teacher; 
but  this  is  true  only  when  we  gain  by  the  experience 
of  others.  In  the  case  of  the  sufferer,  Experience  is 
not  the  best  teacher;  because  she  charges  more  for 
her  instruction  than  it  is  worth.  It  does  you  no  good 
to  learn  how  you  ought  to  have  conducted  your 
business  when  you  are  bankrupt;  it  does  not  help  you 
to  learn  the  proper  diet  when  you  are  dying  from 
poison. 

But  ye  have  set  at  nought  all  my  counsel,  and  would  none  of 
my  reproof: 

I  also  will  laugh  at  your  calamity;  I  will  mock  when  your 
fear  cometh; 

When  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and  your  destruction 
cometh  as  a  whirlwind;  when  distress  and  anguish  cometh 
upon  you. 


The  Book  of  Proverbs  is  a  collection  of  wise  say¬ 
ings  founded  on  observation  of  life.  It  is  a  clear 
revelation  of  human  nature,  showing  that  in  Hebrew 
history  they  had  the  same  varieties  of  humanity  that 
now  walk  the  streets  of  Manhattan.  It  is  often 
called  Hebrew  Wisdom,  but  it  should  be  called 
Human  Wisdom.  It  is  a  mingling  of  shrewdness 
and  piety;  energy  and  reverence.  It  does  not  point 
out  every  danger,  but  it  shows  the  safe  path.  Its 
wisdom  reaches  far  into  the  future;  for  though  it 
does  not  tell  us  what  is  wrong  with  our  automobile — 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  279 


such  engines  then  being  unknown — it  tells  us  how  to 
drive  in  security. 

This  famous  Guide-Book  is  mainly  given  up  to 
definite,  practical  instructions;  but  it  also  contains  a 
splendid  Hymn  to  Wisdom,  wherein  Wisdom  is  rep¬ 
resented  as  being  the  first  creation  of  God,  prac¬ 
tically  coming  into  existence  with  the  energy  of  the 
Divine  Mind.  Wisdom  is  older  than  the  hills  and 
the  sea — and  if  mind  be  older  than  matter,  it  assur¬ 
edly  is.  The  prose  of  the  book  is  specific,  and  meant 
to  help  travellers  in  this  world  in  all  emergencies, 
both  private  and  public  difficulties.  The  necessity 
of  having  a  good  education,  relations  of  parents  and 
children,  wives  and  husbands,  street-neighbours, 
value  of  hard  work  and  the  danger  of  shiftlessness, 
dangers  of  poverty  and  of  wealth,  civic  duties  both 
in  the  courts  and  in  trade,  restraint  in  food,  drink, 
and  speech,  control  of  the  sensual  and  angry  pas¬ 
sions,  and  how  in  general  to  conduct  oneself  in 
society. 

I  neither  know  nor  care  who  wrote  out  all  these 
proverbs;  they  are  the  accumulated  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  many  generations,  brief  and  conven¬ 
ient  summaries  of  conduct.  The  important  thing  is 
not,  Who  wrote  them?  or  when  were  they  written? 
but  are  they  true?  and  if  so,  what  use  shall  we  make 
of  them? 

In  the  main,  they  teach  the  philosophy  of  modera¬ 
tion — perhaps  never  more  needed  than  now,  when  so 
many  are  extremists. 


280  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


The  two  wisest  men  of  modern  times  are  Goethe 
and  Franklin;  they  were  fond  of  writing  aphorisms 
and  epigrams,  composing  guides  to  life.  All  the 
wisdom  of  the  great  German  and  the  great  Ameri¬ 
can  may  be  rightly  regarded  as  footnotes  to  the 
Book  of  Proverbs. 

When  a  man  thinks,  talks,  and  acts  well,  he  has 
behind  him  the  support  of  centuries  of  experience; 
when  he  behaves  badly,  he  is  running  counter  to  a 
force  that  has  gained  irresistible  momentum  by 
Time. 

The  percentage  of  alloy  in  this  great  Book  is 
small,  for  nearly  every  verse  is  the  pure  metal,  that 
which  remains  after  having  passed  the  sharpest  and 
most  searching  tests.  This  is  why  they  are  so  fre¬ 
quently  quoted,  and  why  without  additional  com¬ 
ment,  they  so  often  make  a  final  answer  to  a  proposi¬ 
tion.  It  is  well  for  public  speakers  and  debaters  to 
know  this  book;  it  is  a  quiver  full  of  pointed  arrows. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  in  the  Proverbs 
a  specific  application  often  follows  a  general  sugges¬ 
tion;  as  if  to  say,  Here  is  the  general  truth,  and 
here  a  definite  illustration. 

Withhold  not  good  from  them  to  whom  it  is  due,  when  it  is 
in  the  power  of  thine  hand  to  do  it. 

Say  not  unto  thy  neighbour:  Go,  and  come  again,  and 
tomorrow  I  will  give;  when  thou  hast  it  by  thee. 

The  author  of  the  sixth  chapter  did  not  disdain 
to  learn  wisdom  from  the  smallest  animals;  in  his 
attack  on  laziness — -a  universal  sin— he  saw  that  a 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  281 


bug  might  have  more  brains  than  a  man,  and  was 
therefore  fitted  to  teach  humanity. 

Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ;  consider  her  ways,  and  be  wise : 

Which  having  no  guide,  overseer,  or  ruler, 

Provideth  her  meat  in  the  summer,  and  gathereth  her  food 
in  the  harvest. 

How  long  wilt  thou  sleep,  O  sluggard?  when  wilt  thou  arise 
out  of  thy  sleep? 

Yet  a  little  sleep,  a  little  slumber,  a  little  folding  of  the  hands 
to  sleep: 

So  shall  thy  poverty  come  as  one  that  travelleth,  and  thy  want 
as  an  armed  man. 

Much  is  said  in  these  proverbs  about  strange 
women,  who  were  then  as  now  a  menace  to  the  indi¬ 
vidual  and  to  society;  there  is  one  verse  in  the  sixth 
chapter  that  sums  up  the  whole  question  in  a  few 
words. 

But  whoso  commiteth  adultery  with  a  woman  lacketh  under¬ 
standing:  he  that  doeth  it  destroyeth  his  own  soul. 

And  dealing  with  this  same  vice,  the  wise  man 
attempts  to  destroy  the  illusion  by  coupling  conse¬ 
quences  with  conduct,  in  a  dramatic  sequence : 

Stolen  waters  are  sweet,  and  bread  eaten  in  secret  is  pleasant. 

But  he  knoweth  not  that  the  dead  are  there;  and  that  her 
guests  are  in  the  depths  of  hell. 

Apart  from  the  exhortations  to  good  behaviour, 
there  are  many  passages  which  have  nothing  to  do 
with  ethics,  but  are  simply  revelations  of  the  mind 
of  man,  shedding  light  in  dark  places,  as: 


282  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 

Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick. 

The  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness;  and  a  stranger  doth 
not  intermeddle  with  his  joy. 

Even  in  laughter  the  heart  is  sorrowful;  and  the  end  of  that 
mirth  is  heaviness. 

In  the  twentieth  century  we  hear  much  talk  of 
disarmament,  both  because  of  its  expense,  carrying 
burdensome  taxation,  and  because  nations  know  that 
they  are  not  themselves  to  be  trusted  with  many 
battleships,  any  more  than  a  child  can  be  trusted 
with  toy  pistols.  But  the  sure  way  to  disarm  one’s 
personal  enemy  is  given  in  Chapter  XV : 

A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath;  but  grievous  words  stir 
up  anger. 

Curious  that  nine  out  of  ten  persons  still  do  all  they 
possibly  can  to  strengthen  the  malignant  purpose  and 
fighting  power  of  their  antagonists. 

The  limitless  range  of  disaster  brought  about  by 
fools  is  picturesquely  set  forth  in  this  comparison: 
followed  later  by  parental  grief. 

Let  a  bear  robbed  of  her  whelps  meet  a  man,  rather  than  a 
fool  in  his  folly  .  .  .  the  father  of  a  fool  hath  no  joy. 

The  strength  of  true  friendship  is  interpreted  in 
this  verse ; 

A  friend  loveth  at  all  times,  and  a  brother  is  born  for 
adversity. 

The  ease  with  which  a  reputation  for  wisdom  can 
be  gained  and  maintained,  was  understood  perfectly, 
then  as  now : 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  283 


Even  a  fool,  when  he  holdeth  his  peace,  is  counted  wise:  and 
he  that  shutteth  his  lips  is  esteemed  a  man  of  understanding. 

The  reason  for  this  is  simple  enough.  It  is  the  be¬ 
lief,  usually  well  founded,  that  a  fool  cannot  keep  his 
mouth  shut. 

The  apostle  James,  in  his  famous  chapter  on  the 
untameable  tongue,  was  perhaps  thinking  of  the 
following  verse : 

Death  and  life  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue:  and  they  that 
love  it  shall  eat  the  fruit  thereof. 

The  following  passage  undoubtedly  was  the  cause 
of  much  lamentation  among  the  children  of  Puritans : 

Chasten  thy  son  while  there  is  hope,  and  let  not  thy  soul  spare 
for  his  crying. 

The  question  of  personal  honour,  misunderstood 
through  so  many  centuries,  which  false  interpreta¬ 
tion  has  largely  added  to  the  population  of  grave¬ 
yards,  is  truly  stated  in  the  Proverbs: 

It  is  an  honour  for  a  man  to  cease  from  strife:  but  every 
fool  will  be  meddling. 

The  talk  of  bargainers  has  not  greatly  changed. 

It  is  naught,  it  is  naught,  saith  the  buyer:  but  when  he  is  gone 
his  way,  then  he  boasteth. 

One  of  the  favourite  sources  of  humour  in  the 
mediaeval  poems  and  plays  was  a  woman  with  a 
bad  temper;  she  was  represented  as  a  terror  to  the 
most  valiant  man.  I  wonder  if  she  was  as  common 
in  real  life  as  on  the  stage  and  in  fiction?  and  if  so, 


284  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


was  it  because  her  disposition  was  ruined  by  her 
husband?  In  the  Proverbs,  this  character  is  re¬ 
peatedly  mentioned: 

It  is  better  to  dwell  in  a  corner  of  the  housetop,  than  with  a 
brawling  woman  in  a  wide  house. 

It  is  better  to  dwell  in  the  wilderness,  than  with  a  contentious 
and  an  angry  woman. 

( Wilderness  were  paradise  enow!) 

A  continual  dropping  in  a  very  rainy  day  and  a  contentious 
woman  are  alike. 

Many  verses  deal  with  opportune  and  inoppor¬ 
tune  speech;  nothing  seems  more  beautiful  than  just 
the  right  word  spoken  in  just  the  right  way  at  just 
the  right  time;  whereas  nothing  is  more  unbearable 
than  the  fatuous  presumption  of  those  numerous 
babblers  who  seem  to  have  a  positive  genius  for  the 
inopportune. 

A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver. 

As  an  earring  of  gold,  and  an  ornament  of  fine  gold,  so  is  a 
wise  reprover  upon  an  obedient  ear. 

As  the  cold  of  snow  in  the  time  of  harvest,  so  is  a  faithful 
messenger  to  them  that  send  him:  for  he  refresheth  the  soul  of 
his  masters. 

On  the  other  hand: 

Whoso  boasteth  himself  of  a  false  gift  is  like  clouds  and  wind 
without  rain. 

A  man  that  beareth  false  witness  against  his  neighbour  is  a 
maul,  and  a  sword,  and  a  sharp  arrow. 

Confidence  in  an  unfaithful  friend  in  time  of  trouble  is  like 
a  broken  tooth,  and  a  foot  out  of  joint. 

As  he  that  taketh  away  a  garment  in  cold  weather,  and  as 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  285 


vinegar  upon  nitre,  so  is  he  that  singeth  songs  to  an  heavy  heart. 

He  that  blesseth  his  friend  with  a  loud  voice,  rising  early  in 
the  morning,  it  shall  be  counted  a  curse  to  him. 

It  would  seem  that  even  in  those  days  the  jovial 
back-slapper  usually  selected  the  wrong  time  for  his 
enthusiasm.  Practical  jokers  were  also  common, 
and  were  regarded  with  the  detestation  they  have 
always  deserved. 

So  is  the  man  that  deceiveth  his  neighbour,  and  saith:  Am  not 
I  in  sport? 

The  truly  wise  man  not  only  does  not  trust  others 
overmuch,  he  does  not  trust  himself.  Some  French¬ 
man  said  that  the  biggest  fool  in  the  world  was  the 
man  who  believed  he  could  know  himself.  The  wis¬ 
est  man  among  the  Greeks  was  Ulysses,  whose  wis¬ 
dom  was  particularly  shown  in  his  distrust  of  his 
own  heart,  and  the  preparations  he  made  against 
himself.  When  he  had  been  warned  that  the  song 
of  the  Sirens  was  fatal,  he  had  the  ears  of  his  crew 
plugged,  so  that  they  could  hear  nothing,  for  he 
knew  that  sailors  are  not  to  be  trusted  with  women. 
But  his  supreme  wisdom  was  shown  in  the  way  he 
overreached  himself,  providing  against  his  folly  in 
advance.  He  wished  to  hear  this  ravishing  melody, 
for  he  desired  to  have  every  possible  experience ;  so 
he  left  his  own  ears  unstopped,  but  bade  the  sailors 
tie  him  securely  to  the  mast,  and  to  pay  no  attention 
to  him,  if  he  should  struggle  to  break  loose;  on  no 
account  to  release  him.  Then  when  he  heard  the 


286  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


music,  although  he  was  the  wisest  man  in  the  world, 
and  had  been  distinctly  warned  of  this  particular 
danger,  he  struggled  with  all  his  might  to  be  free, 
and  cursed  the  sailors  for  disregarding  his  wild 
writhings;  but  he  had  foreseen  his  own  danger,  knew 
he  could  not  trust  himself,  and  had  thus  saved  him¬ 
self  from  himself.  All  this  was  clearly  stated  in 
one  verse  of  the  Proverbs: 

He  that  trusteth  in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  when  St.  Paul,  in 
the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Letter  to  the  Romans, 
gave  his  famous  advice  to  overcome  an  enemy  with 
kindness,  he  was  quoting  from  the  old  book  of 
Proverbs : 

If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread  to  eat;  and  if  he 
be  thirsty,  give  him  water  to  drink: 

For  thou  shalt  heap  coals  of  fire  upon  his  head. 

Occasionally  there  is  a  touch  of  mystic  beauty, 
wise  with  a  wisdom  far  beyond  the  wisdom  of  this 
world.  It  is  the  profound  wisdom  of  poetry  and 
religion. 

Where  there  is  no  vision,  the  people  perish. 

Of  all  the  chapters  in  Proverbs,  my  favourite  is 
the  thirtieth.  This  is  said  to  contain  the  words  of 
Agur,  the  son  of  Jakeh,  being  his  confession  of  faith 
and  the  summary  of  his  observations  and  knowledge 
of  life.  I  wish  we  knew  something  about  Agur;  but 
he  is  as  complete  a  puzzle  as  Melchizedek.  No  one 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  287 


knows  anything  either  of  him  or  his  father  except 
their  names.  He  was  a  wise  man,  who  had  learned 
much  in  his  way  of  life ;  he  had  keen  eyes,  an  under¬ 
standing  heart,  a  fine  aense  of  humour,  and  a  vivid 
imagination. 

His  prayer  is  for  neither  poverty  nor  riches;  lead 
me  not  into  temptation.  If  I  am  poor,  I  may  steal, 
or  become  morose,  and  blaspheme  God.  If  I  am 
rich,  I  may  become  self-satisfied,  and  worship  my¬ 
self  instead  of  God.  His  ideal  in  everything  is 
moderation,  for  he  has  observed  the  never-dying 
greediness  of  man,  and  how  increase  of  desire  brings 
misery. 

The  horseleach  hath  two  daughters,  crying:  Give,  give. 
There  are  three  things  which  are  never  satisfied,  yea,  four  things 
say  not,  It  is  enough: 

The  grave;  and  the  barren  womb;  the  earth  that  is  not  filled 
with  water;  and  the  fire  that  saith  not,  It  is  enough. 

The  beauty  and  mystery  of  life  filled  his  mind; 
he  meditated  often  and  deeply.  He  thought  about 
the  progress  through  the  air  of  the  still-winged 
eagle,  which  no  one  yet  understands;  of  the  swift 
gliding  of  the  snake  across  a  stone;  of  a  ship  close- 
hauled  to  the  wind;  and  above  all,  of  that  mystery 
of  mysteries,  on  which  both  human  life  and  human 
art  are  founded,  the  relation  of  man  to  woman. 

There  be  three  things  which  are  too  wonderful  for  me,  yea, 
four  which  I  know  not: 

The  way  of  an  eagle  in  the  air;  the  way  of  a  serpent  upon  a 


288  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


rock;  the  way  of  a  ship  in  the  midst  of  the  sea;  and  the  way  of 
a  man  with  a  maid. 

As  he  looked  back  on  the  vexations  of  life,  he 
tried  to  think  of  what  is  most  intolerable;  and  he 
decided  that  there  were  four  things  which  cannot 
be  borne — a  servant  when  he  reigneth,  (see  Kip¬ 
ling),  a  fool  when  he  is  filled  with  meat,  an  odious 
woman  when  she  is  married,  and  an  handmaid  that 
is  heir  to  her  mistress. 

From  these  unpleasant  spectacles,  he  turns  to  the 
contemplation  of  four  small  and  weak  animals,  who 
nevertheless  may  teach  us  much. 

There  be  four  things  which  are  little  upon  the  earth,  but  they 
are  exceeding  wise : 

The  ants  are  a  people  not  strong,  yet  they  prepare  their  meat 
in  the  summer; 

The  conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk,  yet  make  they  their  houses  in 
the  rocks; 

The  locusts  have  no  king,  yet  go  they  forth  all  of  them  by 
bands; 

The  spider  taketh  hold  with  her  hands,  and  is  in  kings’  palaces. 

The  ants  are  not  strong  in  body,  but  strong  in 
mind;  they  prepare  themselves  against  the  evil  day, 
and  thus  in  time  of  distress  are  really  stronger  than 
giants,  for  they  have  enough.  The  conies  were  little 
rabbits,  who  had  no  aggressive  weapons  and  no 
defence  except  flight;  but  by  building  their  houses  in 
the  rocks,  these  feeble  folk  became  just  as  strong 
as  their  impregnable  home.  The  locusts  learned 
what  no  community  of  human  beings  have  ever  yet 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  289 


learned,  how  to  make  their  world  safe  for  democ¬ 
racy;  they  have  no  tyrannical  and  capricious  king, 
no  written  constitution,  yet  they  understand  how  to 
govern  themselves  and  can  live  and  work  together 
harmoniously;  the  ugly  spider  rises  aloft,  and  dwells, 
with  all  her  ugliness,  in  the  splendid  palace  of  the 
king.  She  aspired.  And  so  these  four  humble 
creatures  are  illustrations  to  the  observing  Agur  of 
four  ideas :  The  wisdom  of  preparedness,  the  wis¬ 
dom  of  safety,  the  wisdom  of  cooperation,  and  the 
wisdom  of  beauty. 

The  last  chapter  is  said  to  contain  the  words  of 
King  Lemuel,  who  is  generally  believed  to  be  no 
other  than  Solomon.  It  is  full  of  deep  insight,  be¬ 
cause,  as  we  are  told  in  the  first  verse,  he  is  simply 
repeating  what  his  mother  taught  him.  She  told 
him  how  to  become  and  how  to  remain  a  wise  king 
and  a  beneficent  ruler;  two  excesses  must  be  reso¬ 
lutely  avoided — strange  women  and  strong  liquor. 
Both  indulgences  have  destroyed  innumerable  kings. 
If  it  really  is  Solomon  talking,  he  resembles  other 
men  in  neglecting  his  mother’s  counsel.  A  king, 
she  added,  is  also  a  judge,  and  if  he  drinks  too 
much,  his  power  of  judgment  is  perverted,  and  his 
wisdom  will  be  turned  into  folly.  Use  wine  only 
as  medicine,  as  a  stimulant  for  those  who  are  des¬ 
perately  ill,  and  to  comfort  those  suffering  from 
melancholia. 

Then  suddenly  she  passes  to  the  consideration  of 
that  subject,  which  is  a  perennial  theme — Woman. 


290  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Who  is  the  ideal  woman?  What  does  she  do?  how 
does  she  dress?  what  does  she  say?  Now  although 
fashions  in  garments,  in  manners,  in  appearance, 
change  bewilderingly  from  generation  to  generation, 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  ideal  woman  as  herein  rep¬ 
resented,  will  never  go  out  of  style,  and  will  never 
cease  to  be  attractive.  Modesty  is  accompanied 
by  the  charm  of  mystery;  character  withstands  the 
insidious  decay  of  years;  good  sense  is  always  cur¬ 
rent  coin;  kindness  is  the  glory  of  a  woman’s  con¬ 
versation,  as  venomous  speech  is  its  degradation. 

'  Who  can  find  a  virtuous  woman?  for  her  price  is  far  above 
rubies. 

The  heart  of  her  husband  doth  safely  trust  in  her,  so  that 
he  shall  have  no  need  of  spoil. 

She  will  do  him  good  and  not  evil  all  the  days  of  her  life. 

She  stretcheth  out  her  hands  to  the  poor;  yea,  she  reacheth 
forth  her  hands  to  the  needy. 

She  is  not  afraid  of  the  snow  for  her  household:  for  all  her 
household  are  clothed  with  scarlet. 

She  maketh  herself  coverings  of  tapestry;  her  clothing  is  silk 
and  purple. 

Her  husband  is  known  in  the  gates,  when  he  sitteth  among 
the  elders  of  the  land. 

Strength  and  honour  are  her  clothing;  and  she  shall  rejoice 
in  time  to  come. 

She  openeth  her  mouth  with  wisdom;  and  in  her  tongue  is 
the  law  of  kindness. 

She  looketh  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  and  eateth 

y 

not  the  bread  of  idleness. 

Her  children  arise  up,  and  call  her  blessed;  her  husband  also, 
and  he  praiseth  her. 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  291 


The  phrase,  “She  shall  rejoice  in  time  to  come,” 
when  literally  translated,  reads:  “She  laughs  at  the 
time  to  come.”  She  has  no  fear  of  advancing  years, 
which  strike  so  many  women  with  terror;  for  she 
knows  that  her  charm  is  not  wholly  external,  and 
that  old  age  will  only  increase  it. 

After  so  many  attacks  on  women  in  the  Book  of 
Proverbs,  it  is  inspiring  to  read  this  magnificent 
tribute,  evidently  drawn  from  the  life.  And  it  is 
well  to  compare  this  ideal  woman  with  those  who, 
according  to  Addison,  spend  all  their  time  decorating 
that  part  of  the  head  known  as  the  outside.  A 
pretty  girl  without  brains  is  described  elsewhere  in 
these  proverbs,  in  the  following  homely  phrase: 

As  a  jewel  of  gold  in  a  swine’s  snout,  so  is  a  fair  woman 
which  is  without  discretion. 

Let  us  hope  that  among  Solomon’s  seven  hundred 
wives,  he  found  one  that  approached  the  ideal  set 
forth  by  his  mother. 

The  Book  of  Ecclesiastes,  as  we  have  it  in  the 
Bible,  may  be  considered  as  a  treatise  on  philosophy, 
just  as  the  Proverbs  are  a  collection  of  wise  sayings 
dealing  with  conduct.  The  latter  belongs  to  the 
world  of  action,  the  former  to  the  world  of  thought. 
The  philosophy  represented  in  Ecclesiastes  is  Pes¬ 
simism — pessimism  as  complete  and  thoroughgoing 
as  that  expressed  by  two  other  literary  artists, 
Schopenhauer  and  Thomas  Hardy. 

It  is  supposed  to  be  the  conclusion  about  life 


292  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


reached  by  the  wisest  man  of  the  world,  Solomon  the 
king,  the  son  of  David.  If  this  be  true,  it  is  quite 
natural,  and  should  call  for  no  surprise.  David  was 
a  man  of  action,  with  tremendous  zest  for  life,  who 
enjoyed  himself  thoroughly;  he  loved  women,  fight¬ 
ing,  statesmanship,  singing,  dancing,  good  company, 
poetry,  and  music;  he  was  too  busy  to  be  a  pessi¬ 
mist,  just  as  a  mother  of  ten  children  seldom  has 
nervous  prostration.  She  hasn’t  the  time. 

Solomon  asked  for  purely  mental  gifts  and  he 
received  them  in  abundance.  Big,  hearty  David  had 
a  thoughtful  son,  given  to  introspection  and  much 
solitary  meditation.  It  is  a  modern  instance.  One 
often  sees  today  a  captain  of  industry,  who  at  sev¬ 
enty  years  of  age,  is  cheerfully  active;  while  his  son, 
far  better  educated,  having  begun  in  childhood  to 
ask  awkward  questions  of  his  parents  and  having 
received  no  answer,  now  asks  them  of  himself. 

In  the  English  text,  Solomon  is  called  the 
Preacher :  the  Hebrew  word  for  that  is  Koheleth, 
and  therefore  in  modern  translations  and  commen¬ 
taries  this  book- — with  the  exception  of  the  moralis¬ 
ing  passages— is  said  to  be  the  work  of  a  man 
named  Koheleth.  The  late  Professor  Jastrow,  in 
his  interesting  version  and  discussion  of  Ecclesiastes, 
believed  Koheleth  to  be  an  assumed  name.  Pro¬ 
fessor  Jastrow  deserves  the  gratitude  of  scholars 
and  readers  for  his  investigations;  one  must  always 
remember,  however,  that  the  largest  part  of  his 
book  is  conjecture,  and  also  that  his  translation, 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  293 


however  close  to  the  Hebrew,  resembles  all  other 
modern  translations  in  its  inferiority  in  English  style 
to  the  Authorised  Version. 

Remember  that  it  makes  absolutely  no  difference 
whether  Solomon  wrote  it,  or  some  obscure  preacher, 
or  a  man  named  Koheleth,  or  some  other  man  who 
called  himself  Koheleth.  The  important  thing  is 
that  we  have  a  magnificent  piece  of  literature,  con¬ 
taining  a  pessimistic  view  of  life,  accompanied  with 
religious  admonition.  If  Solomon  wrote  both,  well 
and  good;  with  his  mentality,  and  appetites  jaded 
by  excess,  it  would  fit  him  perfectly. 

In  the  Note-Book  of  the  Russian  novelist,  Chek¬ 
hov,  we  find  this  interesting  monologue: 

Solomon  (alone).  Oh!  how  dark  is  life!  No  night,  when  I 
was  a  child,  so  terrified  me  by  its  darkness  as  does  my  invisible 
existence.  Lord,  to  David  my  father  Thou  gavest  only  the  gift 
of  harmonising  words  and  sounds,  to  sing  and  praise  Thee  on 
strings,  to  lament  sweetly,  to  make  people  weep  or  admire 
beauty;  but  why  hast  Thou  given  me  a  meditative,  sleepless, 
hungry  mind?  Like  an  insect  born  of  the  dust,  I  hide  in  dark¬ 
ness;  and  in  fear  and  despair,  all  shaking  and  shivering,  I  see 
and  hear  in  everything  an  invisible  mystery.  Why  this  morn¬ 
ing?  Why  does  the  sun  come  out  from  behind  the  temple  and 
gild  the  palm  tree?  Why  this  beauty  of  women?  Where  does 
the  bird  hurry;  what  is  the  meaning  of  its  flight,  if  it  and  its 
young  and  the  place  to  which  it  hastens  will,  like  myself,  turn 
to  dust?  It  were  better  I  had  never  been  born  or  were  a  stone, 
to  which  God  has  given  neither  eyes  nor  thoughts.  In  order 
to  tire  out  my  body  by  nightfall,  all  day  yesterday,  like  a  mere 
workman,  I  carried  marble  to  the  temple;  but  now  the  night 
has  come  and  I  cannot  sleep . I’ll  go  and  lie  down. 


294  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Phorsco  told  me  that  if  one  imagines  a  flock  of  sheep  running 
and  fixes  one’s  attention  upon  it,  the  mind  gets  confused  and  one 
falls  asleep.  I’ll  do  it . (Exit.) 

Elsewhere  Chekhov  wrote  in  his  Note-Book, 
“Solomon  made  a  great  mistake  when  he  asked  for 
wisdom.” 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  English  novel¬ 
ist,  John  Galsworthy,  in  his  novel,  To  Let,  has  cre¬ 
ated  a  character  whose  philosophy  is  exactly  similar 
to  that  expressed  in  Ecclesiastes.  This  man  is  the 
Belgian,  Monsieur  Profond,  who  has  completely 
exhausted  life,  and  has  neither  enthusiasm  nor  prin¬ 
ciples;  his  remark  about  every  occupation,  interest, 
and  life  itself  is  simply  that  there  is  nothing  in  it. 

If  Solomon  wrote  only  the  pessimism  in  the  book 
of  Ecclesiastes,  and  some  pious  scribe  added  the 
religious  admonitions,  very  well;  they  are  both  true, 
taken  separately  or  together.  Without  any  faith  in 
God,  life  ceases  to  have  any  meaning,  which  is  pre¬ 
cisely  the  view  taken  in  the  body  of  the  text;  with 
faith  in  God,  even  the  sorrows  of  life  have  signifi¬ 
cance,  because  everything  has  a  meaning,  which  is 
the  view  taken  by  the  commentator. 

Therefore  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  this  book 
in  the  Bible.  The  objections  to  it  as  a  portion  of 
Holy  Writ  are  based  on  the  fact  that  it  expresses 
pessimism  and  despair;  but  it  does  not  teach  pessi¬ 
mism  and  despair.  Jezebel  expresses  in  her  life, 
conduct,  and  talk  a  certain  kind  of  woman;  but  she 
is  not  meant  to  be  a  model. 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  295 


The  Book  of  Ecclesiastes  is  one  of  the  most 
modern  of  all  the  sixty-six  parts  of  the  Bible — 
because  pessimism  is  to-day  an  extremely  popular 
attitude  of  mind.  One  reason  why  pessimism  is 
popular  is  because  the  majority  of  people  have  the 
insidious  taint  of  self-pity,  and  imagine  that  their 
particular  troubles  are  more  severe  than  those  car¬ 
ried  by  others.  Furthermore,  a  great  many  have 
lost  all  religious  faith  and  with  it  the  key  to  life; 
life  is  certainly  a  mystery  to  all  of  us,  but  to  some  it 
is  a  marvellous  and  challenging  mystery,  to  others 
a  hopeless  and  purpose-crushing  puzzle.  One  man 
rises  higher  by  reason  of  an  obstacle;  another  is 
tripped  by  it,  never  to  rise  again. 

It  is  also  characteristic  that  modern  critics  like 
the  pessimism  of  this  book  better  than  the  religious 
teaching  it  contains;  for  many  would  much  rather  be 
told  what  a  wretched  time  they  are  having,  poor 
fellows,  than  to  be  told  how  to  improve  the  situa¬ 
tion — especially  when  the  latter  plan  means  real 
work. 

It  is  often  said  that  the  Preacher  is  like  Omar 
Khayyam;  so  he  is,  if  you  leave  out  the  practical 
philosophies  of  both.  Omar  says  that  we  know  not 
whence  we  came  nor  whither  we  are  going;  there¬ 
fore,  take  a  drink.  This  book  says  we  know  nothing 
about  life,  therefore  fear  God  and  keep  His  com¬ 
mandments. 

Personally,  I  have  never  been  able  to  see  why 
ignorance  of  life  should  produce  a  thirst.  I  suppose 


296  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


that  what  is  meant,  is  to  drug  one’s  puzzled  mind 
into  oblivion,  so  that  one  can  forget  the  mystery 
of  life.  Now  inasmuch  as  mind  is  the  best  thing 
we  have,  I  prefer  to  keep  it  as  clear  as  possible. 
A  tiny  candle  may  not  go  far  in  the  darkness,  but 
it  is  better  than  more  darkness. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  people  who  are  sick,  or 
poor,  or  crippled  are  not  as  a  rule  pessimists;  the 
pessimists  are  recruited  from  the  ranks  of  the 
healthy  and  wealthy,  who  have  grown  dull  from 
easily  satisfied  desires. 

The  Preacher  loses  no  time  in  stating  his  philo¬ 
sophical  position.  His  first  word  is  Vanity — vanitas 
vanitatum.  There  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun. 
Generations  come  and  go,  and  the  earth  abideth 
forever.  The  Preacher  had  seen  everything,  had 
tasted  all  experience,  had  eaten  freely  of  the  tree 
of  knowledge,  and  had  come  to  this  conclusion — 
there  is  nothing  in  it!  Life  is  meaningless.  Ob¬ 
serve  that,  like  a  genuine  philosophical  pessimist,  he 
does  not  lay  the  main  emphasis  on  the  sorrows  and 
discomforts  of  life;  for  these  could  be  borne,  bad 
as  they  are,  if  we  knew  we  were  going  somewhither, 
if  we  knew  pain  had  a  meaning.  Real  pessimism 
rises  not  from  experience  of  pain,  but  from  the  fear 
that  life  is  without  significance.  Nothing  makes  any 
difference.  Oblivion  swallows  us  all.  He  hated 
life,  with  that  common  and  yet  peculiar  fallacy  of 
thought;  he  hated  life,  because  he  hated  death.  If 
life  is  hateful,  death  should  be  welcome;  if  life  is 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  297 


wretched,  its  shortness  should  be  counted  as  an 
asset;  but  in  reality  nobody  loves  life  deep  down  in 
his  heart  like  your  pessimist — whose  two  reasons 
for  hating  life  are  first,  that  it  is  short,  and  second, 
that  it  is  followed  by  oblivion. 

Then  said  I  in  my  heart,  As  it  happeneth  to  the  fool,  so  it 
happeneth  even  to  me;  and  why  was  I  then  more  wise?  Then 
I  said  in  my  heart,  that  this  also  is  vanity. 

For  there  is  no  remembrance  of  the  wise  more  than  of  the 
fool  forever;  seeing  that  which  now  is  in  the  days  to  come  shall 
all  be  forgotten.  And  how  dieth  the  wise  man?  As  the  fool. 

Therefore  I  hated  life;  because  the  work  that  is  wrought 
under  the  sun  is  grievous  unto  me :  for  all  is  vanity  and  vexation 
of  spirit. 

Later,  this  hater  of  life  reveals  his  love  of  it, 
which  explains  what  I  mean  by  saying  that  no  one 
loves  life  like  your  pessimist. 

For  to  him  that  is  joined  to  all  the  living  there  is  hope:  for 
a  living  dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion. 

For  the  living  know  that  they  shall  die:  but  the  dead  know 
not  any  thing,  neither  have  they  any  more  a  reward;  for  the 
memory  of  them  is  forgotten. 

Also  their  love,  and  their  hatred,  and  their  envy,  is  now 
perished;  neither  have  they  any  more  a  portion  for  ever  in  any 
thing  that  is  done  under  the  sun. 

One  of  his  statements,  which  is  constantly  quoted, 
is  certainly  not  true :  “Increase  of  knowledge  in- 
creaseth  sorrow.”  One  might  as  well  say  that  the 
view  at  the  base  of  a  tower  is  finer  than  the  view 
from  the  top  thereof;  or  that  one  leg  is  better  than 
two.  Although  the  famous  assertion  of  the  Preacher 


298  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


is  false,  his  philosophy  is  consistently  founded  upon 
it;  youth  is  the  best  time  of  life  and  old  age  the  most 
miserable.  The  noble  poetry  of  the  book,  which 
in  the  Authorised  Version,  is  full  of  solemn  and 
mournful  music,  reaches  its  splendid  climax  in  the 
last  chapter;  the  language  of  despair  has  never 
reached  elsewhere  such  an  elevation  as  in  this 
lamentation  on  old  age,  where  one  hardly  knows 
which  to  admire  more,  the  language  or  the  rhythm; 
the  swiftly  following  succession  of  vivid  metaphors, 
or  the  swelling  adagio  music: 

While  the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh,  when 
thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them; 

While  the  sun,  or  the  light,  or  the  moon,  or  the  stars,  be  not 
darkened,  nor  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain: 

In  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble,  and 
the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves,  and  the  grinders  cease 
because  they  are  few,  and  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows 
be  darkened. 

The  keepers  of  the  house  are  either  the  ribs  or 
the  hips;  the  strong  men  are  the  legs;  the  grinders 
are  the  molars;  the  windows  are  the  eyes,  and  the 
sight  is  dim  with  advancing  years. 

And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  when  the  sound  of 
the  grinding  is  low,  and  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird, 
and  all  the  daughters  of  musick  shall  be  brought  low. 

The  doors  are  the  ears,  which  age  closes  up;  the 
sound  of  the  grinding  is  low  presumably  means  that 
penetrating  noises  reach  old  ears  dim  and  muffled; 
he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird — one  of  the 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  299 


all  but  universal  accompaniments  of  old  age  is  in¬ 
ability  to  sleep  late  in  the  morning;  in  the  days  of 
Ecclesiastes,  as  now,  the  old  man  woke  at 

The  earliest  pipe  of  half-awakened  bird 

and  wondered  how  he  would  get  through  the  three 
hours  before  breakfast.  The  daughters  of  music 
shall  be  brought  low  does  not  mean  that  the  voice 
will  be  of  lower  register,  for  in  the  only  passage  fit 
to  be  compared  with  this,  the  soliloquy  of  Jaques  in 
As  You  Like  It,  he  has  the  manly  voice  change  into 
thin,  childish  treble;  what  it  means  is  that  the  music 
of  health  will  leave  the  voice  of  old  age,  which  will 
have  no  vibration,  but  will  be  thin  and  unpleasant; 
the  daughters  of  music  are  slain. 

Also  when  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  and 
fears  shall  be  in  the  way,  and  the  almond  tree  shall  flourish, 
and  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden,  and  desire  shall  fail. 

Fear  of  that  which  is  high  means  that  old  age 
does  not  like  hills,  not  even  stairs;  fears  shall  be  in 
the  way  refers  to  the  timidity  that  accompanies  the 
old  man  in  every  movement;  the  almond  tree  has 
white  blossoms,  referring  to  the  white  hair;  the 
grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden  probably  means  sim¬ 
ply  that  even  the  merest  trifle  causes  worry;  desire 
refers  to  the  loss  of  virility. 

Because  man  goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go 
about  the  streets: 

Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl  be 


300  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


broken,  or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the  wheel 
broken  at  the  cistern. 

The  funeral  processions  in  the  streets  mean  more 
to  an  old  man  than  to  youth,  being  a  kind  of  public 
rehearsal  of  his  own  tragedy;  the  silver  cord  may 
be  the  spine,  and  the  golden  bowl  the  head,  contain¬ 
ing  the  brain,  which  has  lost  its  activity;  what  is 
meant  by  the  pitcher  and  the  wheel  nobody  knows; 
Professor  Jastrow  thinks  they  may  refer  to  the 
kidneys  and  intestines.  But  they  may  mean  simply 
the  inability  of  the  old  man  to  carry  out  any  plan; 
at  the  very  moment  of  action,  his  purpose  is  made 
sterile  by  weakness,  as  the  pitcher  is  broken  just 
when  you  want  to  fill  it,  and  the  wheel  broken  at 
just  the  time  when  you  need  its  revolution. 

Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  preacher;  all  is 
vanity. 

Last  scene  of  all, 

That  ends  this  strange,  eventful  history, 

Is  second  childishness  and  mere  oblivion; 

Sans  teeth,  sans  eyes,  sans  taste,  sans  everything. 

Which  speech  Shakespeare  put  into  the  mouth  of 
an  idle  and  disillusioned  spectator,  as  the  Bible 
places  similar  views  in  the  mouth  of  a  tired  and 
jaded  king. 

The  commentator  could  not  let  such  philosophy 
pass  without  an  antidote;  just  as  a  physician  gives 
a  remedy  for  disease,  so  this  commentator,  whether 
he  were  the  original  philosopher  or  some  one  who 


WISDOM  AND  PHILOSOPHY  301 

had  read  the  despairing  words  with  curiosity  and 
dissent,  added  very  sensibly: 

This  is  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter;  fear  God  and 
keep  His  commandments. 

Or,  as  Tennyson  says, 

Hold  thou  the  good;  define  it  well 
For  fear  divine  Philosophy 
Should  push  beyond  her  mark,  and  be 
Procuress  to  the  Lords  of  Hell. 


XII 

HUMAN  NATURE  REVEALED  IN  POETRY 

JOB,  SOLOMON’S  SONG,  PSALMS,  ISAIAH 


Variety  of  Literary  Forms  in  the  Book  of  Job — The  Opening 
Scene — Problem  of  Evil — Character  of  Job — Bad  News — 
Satan  s  Technique — Effect  of  Bodily  Pain  on  the  Mind — The 
Boils — The  Three  Friends — Their  Speeches  and  Job's  Re¬ 
plies — His  Exasperation — Job's  Remarks  on  Death — The  Ques¬ 
tion  in  Job,  and  the  Answer  in  John — Job's  Appeal  to  Pos¬ 
terity — Job’s  Long  Apology  for  His  Life — An  Outbreak  from 
the  Younger  Generation — Conceit,  Assurance,  and  Verbosity  of 
Elihu — God's  Patience  Exhausted — The  Voice  Out  of  the 
Whirlwind — Sublime  Figures — Humility  of  Job — His  Final 
Prosperity — Passionate  Love  in  Solomon's  Song — The  Lyrics 
in  the  Psalms — The  Twenty-third  Psalm  and  Its  Influence — 
Hunger  and  Thirst  for  Righteousness — Security  in  God — The 
Imprecatory  Psalms  and  the  Sermons  Preached  During  the 
Great  War — Solemn  Grandeur  of  the  Ninetieth  Psalm — Length 
of  Life — Philosophy  of  Life — The  Modern  Attitude — Hotspur 
and  Roosevelt — God's  Search  for  Man — Patriotic  Psalms — 
Isaiah's  Passion  for  Right  Conduct — His  Attack  on  the  Leaders 
of  the  Church — His  Prophecy  of  Ultimate  Triumph  Through 
the  Coming  of  Jesus  Christ. 


XII 


HUMAN  NATURE  REVEALED  IN  POETRY 

The  Book  of  Job  is  a  work  of  pure  literature; 
it  is  a  pastoral,  it  is  a  novel,  it  is  a  philosophical 
treatise  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue,  it  is  a  drama, 
and  above  all  it  is  a  poem.  It  is  animated  through¬ 
out  by  the  very  spirit  of  poetry — it  is  indeed  one 
of  the  greatest  poems  of  the  world.  As  a  pastoral, 
it  deals  with  the  land  and  possessions  of  a  rich  stock 
farmer;  as  a  novel,  it  contains  incidents  so  interest¬ 
ing  that,  once  read,  they  are  never  forgotten;  as 
philosophy,  it  deals  with  one  of  the  most  important 
problems,  the  significance  of  pain,  and  leaves  us 
where  all  other  treatises  on  this  subject  have  left 
us,  in  the  dark;  as  a  drama,  it  has  action  and  talk, 
both  so  appealing  that  when  it  was  presented  on  the 
New  York  stage  it  had  a  long  run;  as  poetry,  it 
reaches  the  highest  elevations  known  to  the  human 
spirit,  and  loses  itself  in  the  stars. 

It  has  everything  except  one  thing — love  o’ 
women.  Curious,  that  a  narrative-pastoral-philo¬ 
sophical-dramatic-poem  can  be  so  thrilling  without 
making  any  use  of  the  chief  material  for  all  these 
forms  of  literature. 


305 


306  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


It  opens  in  the  liveliest  fashion,  so  lively  that 
Goethe  borrowed  it  for  the  opening  of  Faust .  Job 
had  that  combination  of  piety  and  wealth  so  often 
exemplified  in  the  town’s  leading  citizen.  He  sought 
first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness,  and 
all  these  other  things  were  added  unto  him.  Thus 
Satan  sneered,  as  some  of  the  ungodly  do  to-day, 
whenever  Job  was  held  up  as  an  illustration  of  re¬ 
ligion.  It  is  easy  to  be  good  when  you  have  plenty 
of  money  and  good  health- — take  these  away  and 
faith  in  God  will  have  wings  like  riches  and  fly. 

So  far  as  the  problem  of  evil  is  concerned,  it  is 
interesting  to  notice  that  Satan  spent  his  time  travel¬ 
ing,  going  freely  hither  and  thither,  and  was  given 
a  free  hand.  Thus  the  Spirit  of  Opposition,  the 
Spirit  of  Negation,  the  Super-Mischief-maker  was 
and  apparently  is  eternally  busy,  and  could  point 
with  pride  to  his  solid  accomplishments. 

God  and  Satan  fought  for  the  soul  of  Job,  as  they 
fight  for  every  human  being;  apparently  even  the 
meanest  is  worth  fighting  for.  No  one  has  ever 
got  any  further  with  the  doctrine  of  predestination 
than  the  coloured  preacher  who  said,  “God  predes¬ 
tines  man  to  be  saved:  the  Devil  predestines  man  to 
be  damned;  and  man  has  the  casting  vote.” 

Satan  was  allowed  to  try  his  technique  on  Job’s 
prosperity  and  security.  Four  servants  came  run¬ 
ning  in  turn  to  Job,  bringing  him  news  of  disaster: 
the  first  spoke  of  robbers,  who  had  destroyed  prop¬ 
erty  and  servants;  the  second,  of  lightning  destroy- 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  307 


ing  sheep  and  shepherds;  the  third,  of  three  bands 
of  marauders  who  stole  all  the  camels  and  killed 
their  drivers;  the  fourth,  of  a  cyclone  which  de¬ 
stroyed  the  manor  house  and  killed  his  seven  sons. 

Job  received  these  four  blows  with  that  equa¬ 
nimity  that  accompanies  only  the  most  steadfast 
faith.  He  worshipped  God,  who  had  given  and 
taken  away :  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

When  Satan  appeared  again  before  the  Most 
High,  he  did  not  look  like  a  defeated  antagonist; 
he  was  reminded  that  Job’s  piety  had  not  been 
lessened  or  stained  by  disaster.  Satan  suggested 
that  there  was  one  thing  that  no  faith  could  over¬ 
come — physical  suffering.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  in  In  Memoriam  we  read, 

Be  near  me  when  the  sensuous  frame 
Is  rack’d  with  pangs  that  conquer  trust. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  just  when  faith  should  be 
brightest  it  is  often  most  dim — in  times  of  bodily 
anguish.  When  the  body  is  racked  with  pain,  re¬ 
ligion  should  help  to  fortify  the  mind;  but  it  is  just 
then  when  religious  feeling  is  often  dominated  and 
driven  from  the  field  by  corporal  discomfort. 
Shakespeare  intimated  that  there  was  no  philosophy 
proof  against  toothache;  and  it  is  true  that  until  a 
philosopher  can  get  the  tooth  fixed  or  removed,  he 
is  not  likely  to  make  any  valuable  contribution  to 
human  thought.  No  saying  is  more  vain  than  to  say 
that  extreme  pain  stimulates  and  exalts  the  mind; 


308  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


it  really  stupefies  one’s  thinking  powers,  and  for 
the  very  simple  reason  that  pain  is  so  all-pervading 
that  there  is  no  room  in  the  mind  for  anything  else. 

Suddenly  Job’s  portly  body  was  embossed  with 
boils;  he  could  neither  stand,  nor  sit,  nor  lie  down 
with  any  comfort.  His  wife  mocked  his  faith,  and 
advised  him  to  curse  God  and  die.  You  see,  don’t 
you,  how  far  you  have  got  with  religion  ?  Perhaps 
she  wanted  to  get  rid  of  him.  He  must  have  been 
rather  trying  in  the  days  of  his  health  and  pros¬ 
perity;  for  there  is  only  one  husband  more  exasper¬ 
ating  than  an  impatient  one,  and  that  is  one  who  is 
patient.  And  what  a  sight  he  was  now!  Job 
rebuked  her  sharply  for  blasphemy,  told  her  that 
we  receive  both  good  and  evil  from  God,  and  must 
not  expect  continual  fine  weather.  Up  to  this  mo¬ 
ment  he  had  uttered  nothing  in  rebellion  or  in 
despair;  and  it  is  just  possible  that  his  faith  might 
have  withstood  even  the  boils  if  his  three  friends 
had  not  taken  it  into  their  heads  to  visit  and  console 
him.  I  say  he  might  have  triumphed  over  either 
the  boils  or  the  friends;  but  the  combination  was 
too  much,  even  for  Job,  and  he  cursed  his  birthday. 

It  was  quite  evident  to  the  sufferer,  as  he  saw  the 
three  approaching,  with  their  faces  properly  ad¬ 
justed  for  sympathy,  that  there  was  team-play  here ; 
they  had  evidently  talked  him  over  and  made  an 
appointment  to  visit  him.  Had  he  known  the  poetry 
of  Browning  he  might  have  cried  out  to  them: 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  309 


Has  some  plague  a  longer  lease, 

Proffering  its  help  uncouth? 

Can’t  one  even  die  in  peace? 

He  recognised  them  afar  off,  but  he  was  so 
changed  from  the  prosperous,  upstanding,  hearty 
man  that  at  first  they  did  not  know  him;  when  his 
identity  finally  became  clear,  they  were  so  overcome 
as  to  be  speechless  seven  days  and  seven  nights. 
His  appearance  must  have  produced  a  terrific  shock 
to  silence  such  fluency  as  theirs. 

The  seven  days  of  silence  were  broken  by  the 
voice  of  Job,  who  uttered  a  noble  psalm  in  praise 
of  Death;  his  condition  and  the  words  springing 
from  it  take  us  back  to  those  two  wonderful  verses 
in  Ecclesiasticus,  cited  in  a  previous  chapter — how 
bitter  the  thought  of  death  is  when  one  is  healthy 
and  prosperous,  how  welcome  when  one  is  in  an¬ 
guish,  and  especially  when  one  “hath  lost  patience.” 
Job  exemplified  this  changing  attitude  in  the  change 
of  his  own  condition. 

Eliphaz  cleared  his  throat,  and  began  somewhat 
doubtfully,  “If  we  assay  to  commune  with  thee,  wilt 
thou  be  grieved?”  He  reminded  Job  that  no  man 
was  perfect,  hence  every  one  needs  refinement  by 
suffering;  he  advised  him  not  to  despise  the  chasten¬ 
ing  of  the  Almighty,  but  to  have  faith  that  he  would 
come  out  of  this  trial  a  sounder  and  better  man. 
But  Job  answered  that  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty 
had  pierced  him;  that  he  was  in  such  grief  he  longed 


310  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


believe  that  he  was  being  punished  for  sin.  He 
challenged  Eliphaz  to  point  out  wherein  he  had  gone 
wrong. 

Then  Bildad  the  Shuhite  spoke  up,  rather  vaguely, 
it  must  be  confessed:  he  referred  to  history,  as  prov¬ 
ing  that  the  righteous  prosper  and  the  wicked  suffer, 
which,  if  he  had  known  a  little  more  history,  he 
might  have  urged  with  less  assurance ;  he  practically 
told  Job  to  cheer  up,  for  he  would  surely  be  all  right 
again,  though  he  did  not  suggest  when  or  how. 

To  this  Job  made  the  reply  that  millions  have 
made  in  suffering;  how  am  I  to  establish  an  intimate 
relation  with  the  great  God?  Does  He  hold  court 
like  a  human  judge,  so  that  I  can  stand  before  Him 
and  present  my  case?  How  can  I  get  a  hearing? 
How  can  I  be  sure  that  He,  who  made  Arcturus, 
Orion,  and  the  Pleiades,  cares  anything  for  me,  any 
more  than  I  care  for  a  worm?  No,  it  is  not  because 
I  have  sinned  that  I  am  punished;  I  don’t  know  why 
I  suffer  so;  all  I  want  now  is  a  little  respite  before 
death,  the  end  of  consciousness,  the  end  of  pain. 

Wherefore  then  hast  thou  brought  me  forth  out  of  the 
womb?  Oh  that  I  had  given  up  the  ghost,  and  no  eye  had 
seen  me! 

I  should  have  been  as  though  I  had  not  been;  I  should  have 
been  carried  from  the  womb  to  the  grave. 

Are  not  my  days  few?  Cease  then,  and  let  me  alone,  that  I 
may  take  comfort  a  little, 

Before  I  go  whence  I  shall  not  return,  even  to  the  land  of 
darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death; 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  311 


A  land  of  darkness,  as  darkness  itself;  and  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  without  any  order,  and  where  the  light  is  as  darkness. 

Many  poets  have  attempted  to  express  the  idea 
of  nothingness;  Shakespeare  spoke  of  death’s  date¬ 
less  night:  Job,  a  distinguished  man  of  business,  with 
definite  plans  for  each  day,  calls  the  land  of  the 
dead  a  place  “without  any  order.” 

Then  the  third  friend,  Zophar  the  Naamathite, 
who  had  thus  far  kept  silent  with  great  difficulty, 
burst  out  in  a  torrent  of  speech,  hotly  condemning 
Job  for  self-righteousness.  He  called  upon  him  to 
repent,  and  all  might  yet  be  well.  Who  can  know 
the  infinite  mind?  who  by  searching  can  find  out 
God?  Therefore,  Job,  I  advise  you  to  humble  your¬ 
self  in  the  dust,  put  away  your  sins,  and  repent; 
then  all  will  be  forgiven,  and  you  will  remember 
these  boils  only  as  a  bad  dream. 

Job  was  decidedly  irritated  by  the  words  of 
Zophar,  and  answered  sarcastically,  “No  doubt  but 
ye  are  the  people,  and  wisdom  shall  die  with  you.” 
(On  the  stage  this  line  was  spoken  with  such  an 
indescribable  tone  of  mingled  wrath,  impatience,  and 
suffering  that  the  audience  burst  out  in  uncontroll¬ 
able  laughter.)  He  went  on  to  say  that  he  too  was 
not  devoid  of  understanding;  compared  with  God, 
he  was  nothing;  but  compared  with  his  three  friends, 
he  felt  no  inferiority  in  intellect;  my  neighbours  are 
mocking  me ;  it  is  easy  to  talk  when  you  are  feeling 
fine  yourself. 


312  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


But  ye  are  forgers  of  lies,  ye  are  all  physicians  of  no  value. 

O  that  ye  would  altogether  hold  your  peace,  and  it  should  be 
your  wisdom. 

The  fact  is  that  God  does  not  need  such  persons 
as  you  to  speak  in  His  behalf;  you  cannot  under¬ 
stand  His  ways;  He  does  not  always  punish  the 
wicked,  and  help  the  good.  There  is  no  formula. 

The  truth  is  that  life  is  nothing  but  vanity  and 
sorrow,  as  meaningless  as  death.  Then  out  of  the 
depths  Job  asks  the  eternal  question:  Is  there  any 
better  life  than  this  miserable  existence?  Is  there 
any  reason  for  hope  in  a  life  after  death,  where  our 
dreams  of  perfection  may  reach  fulfillment?  As 
the  best  answer  to  this  question  was  made  by  Him 
who  spake  as  never  man  spake,  I  wish  to  place  to¬ 
gether  question  and  answer — the  question  in  the 
fourteenth  chapter  of  Job,  the  answer  in  the  four¬ 
teenth  chapter  of  John.  The  answer  is  as  refreshing 
as  clear  water  to  thirst,  as  healing  balm  to  a  painful 
wound. 

THE  QUESTION 

Man  that  is  born  of  a  woman  is  of  few  days,  and  full  of 
trouble. 

He  cometh  forth  like  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down:  he  fleeth 
also  as  a  shadow,  and  continueth  not.  ..... 

For  there  is  hope  of  a  tree,  if  it  be  cut  down,  that  it  will 
sprout  again,  and  that  the  tender  branch  thereof  will  not 
cease . 

But  man  dieth,  and  wasteth  away:  yea,  man  giveth  up  the 
ghost,  and  where  is  he? . 

If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again? 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  313 


THE  ANSWER 

Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled:  ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  me. 

In  my  Father’s  house  are  many  mansions:  if  it  were  not  so, 
I  would  have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 

The  three  friends  were  neither  silenced  nor  con¬ 
vinced  by  Job’s  speeches;  Eliphaz  the  Temanite  be¬ 
gan  again,  and  said  that  Job  had  filled  his  belly 
with  the  east  wind.  He  declared  that  it  was  not 
only  foolish  but  wicked  to  ask  questions  of  God,  or 
to  suggest  that  He  was  not  dealing  fairly  by  the 
world.  Like  the  other  two,  he  could  not  get  the 
idea  of  sin  and  punishment  out  of  his  head,  and 
rebuked  the  sufferer. 

Job’s  original  stock  of  patience  was  now  quite 
exhausted.  “Miserable  comforters  are  ye  all.”  I 
appeal  from  you  to  my  Witness  in  heaven;  for  al¬ 
though  my  anguish  comes  from  Him,  He  under¬ 
stands  me,  and  you  do  not.  Your  words  are  merely 
an  addition  to  an  already  intolerable  burden. 

Bildad  the  Shuhite,  having  the  sensitiveness  that 
sometimes  accompanies  vanity,  sharply  resented 
these  amenities,  and  interrupted  Job  by  telling  him 
to  keep  still  and  listen  to  words  of  wisdom.  He 
then  poured  out  another  diatribe  on  the  wicked,  pre¬ 
dicting  disaster  for  those  who  would  not  repent. 
Job  told  Bildad  that  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
himself  for  such  talk,  for  it  had  no  friendliness  nor 
understanding.  Can’t  you  see  that  while  you  are 
delivering  these  discourses,  I  am  suffering  horribly? 


314  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Have  pity  upon  me,  have  pity  upon  me,  O  ye  my  friends; 
for  the  hand  of  God  hath  touched  me. 

Then  follows  an  interesting  remark,  which  (as 
the  late  Professor  Jastrow  pointed  out)  has  been 
almost  universally  misunderstood.  Job  here  ap¬ 
peals  from  his  contemporaries,  who  scorn  him,  to 
future  time — indeed,  to  us  in  the  twentieth  century 
— when  some  defender  will  appear  who  will  do  him 
justice.  Like  many  a  man  who  suffers  from  mis¬ 
representation,  he  appeals  to  posterity.  When  he 
said,  “I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,”  he  appar¬ 
ently  was  not  referring  to  Christ  nor  to  Jehovah; 
the  word  Redeemer  should  have  been  translated 
defender — and  Job  means,  if  only  my  suffering  could 
be  recorded  in  a  book,  some  wise  man  in  the  future 
would  read  it,  and  defend  me  against  the  reproaches 
of  Eliphaz,  Bildad,  and  Zophar 

Oh  that  my  words  were  now  written!  Oh  that  they  were 
printed  in  a  book! 

That  they  were  graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock 
for  ever! 

For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  He  shall 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth. 

His  pious  wish  has  been  fulfilled.  We  understand 
Job  better,  and  the  homiletic  fury  of  the  three 
friends  is  almost  as  irritating  to  us  as  it  was  to  him. 

While  Professor  Jastrow  has  done  much  to  stim¬ 
ulate  thought  on  this  great  poem,  he  went  altogether 
too  far  in  reconstructing  the  work,  in  an  attempt  to 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  315 


make  it  consistent.  Who  expects  the  lamentations 
of  one  who  was  in  such  acute  misery  as  Job  to  form 
a  consistent  doctrine  or  to  maintain  the  same  attitude 
toward  life  and  death?  At  times  he  speaks  in  utter 
despair,  and  again  with  some  hope,  as  any  man 
would  in  changing  moods. 

Sometimes  he  believes  in  a  future  life,  at  other 
times  not  at  all,  as  is  the  way  of  fluctuating  human 
opinion. 

Zophar  the  Naamathite,  like  a  bird  with  one  tune, 
poured  some  more  hot  words  into  the  wicked,  who, 
he  informed  Job,  might  triumph  temporarily,  but 
in  the  end  would  receive  their  deserts.  Look  out. 

Job  replied,  in  the  tone  of  a  man  who  knows  that 
what  he  will  say  will  produce  no  conviction,  yet  must 
speak. 

Suffer  me  that  I  may  speak;  and  after  that  I  have  spoken, 
mock  on. 

He  said  that  while  it  was  true  that  some  of  the 
wicked  suffered,  some  of  them  did  not;  if  you  will 
look  on  life  as  it  is,  without  any  preconceived  theory, 
you  will  see  that  your  explanation  of  human  suffer¬ 
ing  does  not  lit  the  facts.  In  this  speech  Job  really 
took  the  same  position  as  that  declared  many  years 
later  by  our  Lord:  He  sendeth  His  rain  on  the  just 
and  on  the  unjust. 

Eliphaz,  however,  resembled  many  philosophers 
in  loving  his  theory  more  than  the  truth.  He  told 
Job  to  look  back  over  his  entire  career,  and  he  would 


316  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


certainly  remember  many  things  he  had  done  which 
were  not  right;  hinc  ilia  lachrima. 

Ah,  said  Job,  if  only  I  knew  where  I  might  find 
God,  to  be  as  sure  of  Him  as  you  are;  if  only  I 
could  ask  Him  a  few  questions,  and  know  the  expla¬ 
nation  of  life!  The  world  is  full  of  evil,  and  God 
permits  murderers  and  adulterers  to  live.  If  I  were 
God,  I  might  know  why. 

Bildad,  whose  ammunition  was  nearly  all  ex¬ 
hausted,  here  fired  a  shot  aimed  apparently  at  no 
target;  man,  he  said,  must  not  attempt  to  justify 
himself.  Job  then  made  a  very  long  speech,  full  of 
disconnected  remarks,  many  of  which  contain  beau¬ 
tiful  figures  of  speech,  but  have  little  to  do  with  the 
argument.  He  talks  like  a  man  who  is  afraid  to 
stop  for  fear  his  antagonist  will  begin  again,  and 
he  had  rather  talk  than  listen.  He  reviewed  his 
former  happy  life,  and  contrasted  it  with  his  present 
wretched  state. 

When  he  finished,  it  was  Zophar’s  turn;  but  he 
said  nothing.  Perhaps  he  was  asleep.  Job’s  speech 
was  very  long. 

But  there  was  a  young  man,  Elihu  the  Buzite, 
who  had  been  listening,  and  was  by  this  time  angry 
with  both  sides;  with  Job,  because  he  had  attempted 
to  justify  himself,  and  with  the  three  comforters, 
because  they  were  silenced;  really,  however,  he  was 
angry  because  he  had  been  bursting  with  repressed 
rhetoric,  and  had  not  got  a  chance  to  put  in  a  word. 
He  released  a  flood  of  talk — his  conceit,  so  charac- 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  317 

teristic  of  the  younger  generation,  is  downright 
funny. 

I  will  answer  also  my  part,  I  also  will  shew  mine  opinion. 

For  I  am  full  of  matter,  the  spirit  within  me  constraineth  me. 

Behold,  my  belly  is  as  wine  which  hath  no  vent;  it  is  ready 
to  burst  like  new  bottles. 

I  will  speak,  that  I  may  be  refreshed;  I  will  open  my  lips  and 
answer. 

He  was  in  terror  lest  Job  should  interrupt  him 
before  he  got  through;  never  was  there  a  man  who 
more  loved  to  hear  himself  talk.  After  he  had  been 
pouring  out  a  steady  torrent  of  words,  it  is  evident 
that  Job  made  an  attempt  to  speak,  and  Elihu  cried 
hastily : 

Mark  well,  O  Job,  hearken  unto  me:  hold  thy  peace,  and 
I  will  speak. 

If  thou  hast  anything  to  say,  answer  me:  speak,  for  I  desire 
to  justify  thee. 

If  not,  hearken  unto  me:  hold  thy  peace,  and  I  shall  teach 
thee  wisdom. 

Job  was  too  amazed  to  speak,  and  Elihu  went  on 
endlessly,  until  he  had  exhausted  not  only  the  pa¬ 
tience  of  Job,  but  the  patience  of  God. 

The  wind  of  Elihu  had  brought  on  a  whirlwind, 
and  out  of  the  storm  came  a  great  Voice,  with 
language  majestic  and  divine: 

Who  is  this  that  darkeneth  counsel  by  words  without  knowl¬ 
edge? 

Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man;  for  I  will  demand  of  thee, 
and  answer  thou  me. 


318  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth? 
declare,  if  thou  hast  understanding . 

Whereupon  are  the  foundations  thereof  fastened,  or  who 
laid  the  corner  stone  thereof; 

When  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of 
God  shouted  for  joy? 

Or  who  shut  up  the  sea  with  doors,  when  it  brake  forth,  as 
if  it  had  issued  out  of  the  womb? 

When  I  made  the  cloud  the  garment  thereof,  and  thick 
darkness  a  swaddlingband  for  it, 

And  brake  up  for  it  my  decreed  place,  and  set  bars  and  doors, 

And  said,  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further:  and  here 
shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed . 

Canst  thou  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades,  or  loose  the 
bands  of  Orion? 

Canst  thou  bring  forth  Mazzaroth  in  his  season?  or  canst 
thou  guide  Arcturus  with  his  sons? . 

Hast  thou  given  the  horse  strength?  hast  thou  clothed  his 
neck  with  thunder? 

Canst  thou  make  him  afraid  as  a  grasshopper?  the  glory  of 
his  nostrils  is  terrible. 

He  paweth  in  the  valley,  and  rejoiceth  in  his  strength:  he 
goeth  on  to  meet  the  armed  men. 

He  mocketh  at  fear,  and  is  not  affrighted;  neither  turneth 
he  back  from  the  sword. 

The  quiver  rattleth  against  him,  the  glittering  spear  and  the 
shield. 

He  swalloweth  the  ground  with  fierceness  and  rage:  neither 
believeth  he  that  it  is  the  sound  of  the  trumpet. 

He  saith  among  the  trumpets,  Ha,  ha;  and  he  smelleth  the 
battle  afar  off,  the  thunder  of  the  captains,  and  the  shout¬ 
ing . 


This  glorious  poetry,  setting  forth  the  wonders 
of  the  earth,  and  of  the  starry  heavens,  indicated  the 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  319 


distance  between  the  mind  of  man  and  the  mind  of 
God.  Job,  who  had  maintained  an  attitude  of  defi¬ 
ance  to  his  three  friends,  and  doubtless  an  attitude 
of  bewilderment  to  Elihu,  now  humbled  himself  in 
the  presence  of  the  works  of  God.  “I  abhor  myself, 
and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.” 

Eliphaz  and  his  two  friends  received  a  merited 
rebuke  from  the  divine  voice,  and  were  informed 
that  their  wisdom  was  all  foolishness;  but  Job  would 
pray  for  them,  that  their  presumption  might  be  for¬ 
given.  They  were  sadder  and  wiser  for  this  expe¬ 
rience,  and  prepared  a  burnt  offering. 

Job  forgave  them,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  observe 
that  at  the  moment  when  he  prayed  for  his  old 
friends,  his  boils  left  him,  and  he  was  clean.  Pros¬ 
perity  returned  to  him  abundantly,  his  sons  grew 
apace,  and  his  daughters  were  the  fairest  women  in 
the  land.  He  lived  one  hundred  and  forty  years 
after  his  memorable  misfortune,  and  greeted  his 
great-grandchildren. 

What  Satan  thought  of  all  this  is  not  recorded; 
but  the  problem  of  evil  is  left  just  where  it  was 
before  the  discussion,  just  where  every  philosopher 
leaves  it  when  he  has  said  his  last  word. 

The  Song  of  Songs,  called  Solomon’s  Song,  is  a 
collection  of  passionate  Eastern  lyrics  dealing  with 
love,  courtship  and  marriage.  It  is  rather  curious 
that  this  very  human  poem,  with  its  frank  expression 
of  desire  and  longing,  should  ever  have  been  given  a 


320  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


spiritual  interpretation.  It  is  like  a  garden;  it  has 
the  roses  of  love  and  the  weeds  of  jealousy. 

The  main  theme  is  the  worship  of  bodily  beauty; 
the  richly  ornamental  and  odorous  words  take  the 
form  of  a  duet,  in  which  the  maiden  and  the  man 
sing  alternately  in  praise  of  the  other’s  charms.  The 
girl  looks  shyly  out  through  the  lattice  and  sees  with 
adoration  the  approaching  figure  of  her  lover  run¬ 
ning  to  meet  her,  full  of  vigour,  agility  and  grace. 
He  is  like  a  young  hart,  leaping  on  the  mountains. 
To  the  passionate  eyes  of  the  man,  the  maiden  is 
as  a  fair  lily  among  thistles,  and  he  takes  delight 
in  her  slender,  supple  sweetness. 

Journeys  end  in  lovers  meeting;  it  is  the  union  of 
youth  in  springtime.  Surely  no  song  to  the  fresh¬ 
ness  of  spring  ever  surpassed  this : 

For,  lo,  the  winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone; 

The  flowers  appear  on  the  earth;  the  time  of  the  singing  of 
birds  is  come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  our  land; 

The  fig  tree  putteth  forth  her  green  figs,  and  the  vines  with 
the  tender  grape  give  a  good  smell.  Arise,  my  love,  my  fair 
one,  and  come  away . 

My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his;  he  feedeth  among  the 
lilies. 

The  Song  celebrates  not  only  the  joy  and  glory  of 
Love  and  Beauty,  but  also  the  Terror — for  Love 
and  Beauty  may  be  as  terrible  as  they  are  sweet. 

Who  is  she  that  looketh  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as  the 
moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible  as  an  army  with  ban¬ 
ners?  . 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  321 


Set  me  as  a  seal  upon  thine  heart,  as  a  seal  upon  thine  arm: 
for  love  is  strong  as  death;  jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave:  the 
coals  thereof  are  coals  of  fire,  which  hath  a  most  vehement 
flame. 

Many  waters  cannot  quench  love,  neither  can  the  floods 
drown  it:  if  a  man  would  give  all  the  substance  of  his  house 
for  love,  it  would  utterly  be  contemned. 

The  Book  of  Psalms  contains  one  hundred  and 
fifty  lyrical  poems.  A  true  lyric  should  have  three 
distinct  qualities — brevity,  melody,  unity.  By  its 
very  nature  it  must  be  brief;  we  can  enjoy  a  long 
narrative  or  descriptive  poem,  but  a  long  lyric  would 
be  as  intolerable  as  a  long  tune.  A  lyrical  poem 
should  be  fluently  musical,  singing  spontaneously; 
and  it  should  as  a  rule  represent  only  one  mood. 
This  mood  may  not  be  characteristic  of  the  author’s 
usual  mental  attitude,  but  it  is  his  feeling  at  the 
time  when  he  finds  relief  in  expression. 

The  one  apparent  exception  to  the  rule  of  brevity 
is  Psalm  CXIX;  but  that  is  a  group  of  songs,  rather 
than  one. 

Divine  lyrics  have  never  reached  a  loftier  height 
than  in  the  Psalms,  which  is  the  greatest  Hymn 
Book  in  the  world.  Almost  every  human  emotion — 
except  the  love  of  man  and  woman — is  represented. 
In  this  correspondence  with  God  there  is  an  intimate 
revelation  of  the  human  heart,  a  marvellous  confes¬ 
sional.  There  are  songs  of  joy,  triumph,  hate,  rage, 
fear,  repentance,  remorse,  praise,  adoration,  ecstasy, 
and  despair.  There  is  the  fierce  tumult  of  battle, 
there  is  the  quiet  tone  of  serene  meditation.  The 


322  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


works  of  nature  are  the  handiwork  of  God;  there  is 
the  glory  of  the  morning,  the  glory  of  the  evening, 
and  the  glory  of  the  stars.  Often  the  writer  sings 
as  intimately  and  unrestrainedly  as  though  he  were 
alone  with  God. 

There  are  only  six  verses  in  the  Twenty-third 
Psalm,  but  who  can  estimate  the  range  and  extent 
of  their  heart-strengthening  influence?  Thousands 
and  thousands  have  gone  through  pain,  sorrow,  hu¬ 
miliation,  and  death  with  these  immortal  words  on 
their  lips.  They  have  literally  restored  the  soul  of 
sufferers.  In  the  universality  of  their  import  and 
application  they  belong  to  all  people  and  all  time. 

The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  I  shall  not  want. 

He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures:  he  leadeth  me 
beside  the  still  waters. 

He  restoreth  my  soul:  he  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  right¬ 
eousness  for  his  name’s  sake. 

Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  will  fear  no  evil:  for  thou  art  with  me;  thy  rod  and 
thy  staff  they  comfort  me. 

Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 
enemies:  thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil;  my  cup  runneth  over. 

Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of 
my  life :  and  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever. 

Those  who  are  not  religious,  who  never  think  of 
religion  subjectively,  have  no  more  idea  of  the  real¬ 
ity  of  religious  passion  than  those  who  have  never 
been  in  love  have  a  conception  of  the  power  of  love ; 
they  understand  the  ardour  of  religion  as  a  deaf 
man  understands  music  and  a  man  born  blind  ap- 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  323 


predates  a  sunset.  In  Psalm  XLII  the  poet  ex¬ 
presses  a  feeling  instantly  understood  by  some,  and 
meaningless  to  others : 

As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks,  so  panteth  my 
soul  after  thee,  O  God. 

My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God:  when  shall  I 
come  and  appear  before  God? 

The  innumerable  hosts  of  those  who  have  lived 
the  life  of  the  spirit  and  found  in  that  life  solid  and 
unshakable  security  feel  in  their  hearts  an  echo  to 
the  majestic  opening  of  the  Forty-sixth  Psalm: 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble. 

Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and 
though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea; 

Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled,  though  the 
mountains  shake  with  the  swelling  thereof. 

In  recent  times,  up  to  the  year  of  grace  1914, 
many  godly  people  were  troubled  by  the  so-called 
imprecatory  psalms,  where  the  poets  called  on  God 
to  torture,  crush,  and  annihilate  their  enemies;  these 
psalms  were  written  by  fighters,  who  hated  their 
enemies  and  believed  that  their  personal  enemies 
were  the  enemies  of  righteousness.  They  therefore 
called  loudly  for  divine  vengeance,  and  rejoiced  in 
their  foes’  discomfiture  and  ruin.  I  say  that  these 
poems  were  prudently  omitted  from  pulpit  reading, 
as  it  was  felt  that  in  modern  and  more  peaceful  days 
we  had  outgrown  such  rancorous  hostility,  or  at  all 
events  that  we  ought  to  have  done  so.  But  when  I 
remember  the  language  used  in  the  pulpits  of  some 


324  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


American  churches  during  the  World  War,  I  find 
it  very  easy  to  understand  the  mood  of  the  cursing 
psalms,  and  I  find  it  impossible  to  take  toward  those 
hymns  of  hate  a  superior  attitude;  for  surely  the 
twentieth  century,  as  often  represented  by  official 
religion,  was  in  precisely  the  same  frame  of  mind. 
Human  nature  at  any  critical  moment  may  burst 
through  the  confining  garments  of  culture,  educa¬ 
tion,  and  religion,  as  an  angry  man  throws  off 
restraint. 

This  is  the  vigorous  fashion  in  which  the  Psalmist 
preached  in  time  of  war;  of  course  he  believed  that 
his  own  advancement  and  that  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God  were  firmly  united;  it  was  a  holy  war: 

They  compassed  me  about  also  with  words  of  hatred;  and 
fought  against  me  without  a  cause . 

Let  his  children  be  fatherless,  and  his  wife  a  widow. 

Let  his  children  be  continually  vagabonds,  and  beg:  let  them 
seek  their  bread  also  out  of  their  desolate  places. 

Let  the  extortioner  catch  all  that  he  hath;  and  let  the  stran¬ 
gers  spoil  his  labour. 

Let  there  be  none  to  extend  mercy  unto  him :  neither  let  there 
be  any  to  favour  his  fatherless  children. 

Let  his  posterity  be  cut  off;  and  in  the  generation  following 
let  their  name  be  blotted  out. 

Let  the  iniquity  of  his  fathers  be  remembered  with  the  Lord  ; 
and  let  not  the  sin  of  his  mother  be  blotted  out. 

On  the  night  of  22  January,  1922,  a  clergyman 
in  Leeds,  England,  made  a  sensation  by  announcing 
that  this  Psalm,  CIX,  would  henceforth  be  expur¬ 
gated  from  the  service ;  he  added  that  he  would  like 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  325 


also  to  remove  Psalms  XXXV  and  LXIX,  on  the 
ground  that  all  three  were  unchristian.  They  are 
certainly  unchristian,  but  they  are  not  unnatural. 
The  clergyman  said,  “No  one  has  been  able  to  ex¬ 
plain  the  curses  in  the  Psalms  and  they  represent 
human  nature  at  its  very  worst.”  Well,  they  repre¬ 
sented  human  nature  very  well  not  only  in  David’s 
time,  but  in  1914-18,  and  expressed  a  common 
feeling. 

For  solemn  grandeur  there  is  perhaps  no  poem 
in  literature  superior  to  the  Ninetieth  Psalm,  be¬ 
lieved  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  book,  and 
formerly  ascribed  to  Moses.  It  could  not  have 
been  written  by  Moses,  I  suppose,  because  it  speaks 
of  the  age  of  man,  seventy  years  with  an  occasional 
extension  to  eighty,  as  being  normal;  whereas  in  the 
early  days  of  Jewish  history  a  much  longer  life  was 
often  recorded,  Moses  himself  dying  at  the  age  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty. 

The  comparison  of  the  eternal  Present  of  God 
with  the  transient  hills,  and  with  the  swift  change 
from  future  to  past  in  the  life  of  men,  is  overwhelm¬ 
ing  in  its  stern  dignity  of  expression.  We  think  in 
hours  and  days,  measurements  adapted  to  our  range; 
with  Him  a  thousand  years  are  but  as  yesterday 
when  it  is  past,  and  as  a  watch  in  the  night.  This 
psalm  is  like  a  symphony,  beginning  sonorously,  then 
descending  into  a  mournful  adagio,  and  closing 
jubilantly. 

I  suppose  there  could  not  be  a  more  well-worn 


326  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


platitude  than  to  say  that  life  is  short;  but  in  our 
philosophical  thinking  we  actually  do  forget  the 
relativity  of  measurement.  We  measure  cloth  by 
yards,  but  the  astronomer  measures  by  light-years; 
if  with  God  a  thousand  years  are  as  a  watch  in  the 
night,  why  are  we  so  confident  as  to  the  goodness 
or  the  badness  of  the  world?  If  a  man  thinks  in 
centuries,  his  view  is  surely  different  from  that  of  a 
child,  who  thinks  only  of  to-day;  how  about  One 
who  thinks  in  terms  of  eternity? 

On  the  other  hand,  the  literature  of  melancholy 
is  too  much  obsessed  with  the  shortness  of  life;  com¬ 
pared  with  the  life  of  a  California  tree,  human  exist¬ 
ence  on  earth  is  short  indeed;  but  it  is  really  long 
enough  to  enjoy  greatly  and  to  suffer  greatly;  long 
enough  to  do  much  good  and  much  evil ;  long  enough 
to  learn  some  things  well;  in  many  strange  charac¬ 
ters,  long  enough  to  be  tired  of  it;  long  enough  for 
ennui.  For  there  are  many  who  would  kill  time, 
and  there  are  occasions  when  to  the  most  active 
mind  an  hour  seems  long. 

Life  may  be  short,  as  many  who  have  wasted  it 
find  out  at  its  close;  but  certainly  most  of  us  live  as 
long  as  we  deserve. 

Hell  was  the  first  important  element  in  theology 
to  become  discredited  in  modern  thought;  there  are, 
of  course,  many  who  still  believe  in  hell,  but  the 
majority  of  Protestant  Christians  probably  do  not. 
With  the  extinction  of  this  flame,  the  fear  of  a  fu¬ 
ture  life,  the  dread  of  something  after  death,  van- 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  327 


ished;  the  future  life  has  ceased  to  terrify  most 
intelligent  persons.  But  with  the  fear  of  the  future 
banished,  the  hope  of  the  future  began  to  grow 
weak;  the  material  expansion  of  modern  life,  fol¬ 
lowed  by  the  World  War,  which  calamity  had  a 
disastrous  effect  on  religious  faith — how  disastrous 
no  one  now  can  tell — drove  out  of  the  minds  of 
many  people  the  hope  of  existence  after  death.  The 
result  is  that  there  are  now  probably  a  larger  number 
of  people  who  have  no  belief  in  a  future  life  than 
have  ever  existed  hitherto ;  thus  we  see  all  about  us 
to-day  a  common  attitude  toward  this  present  life 
that  can  best  be  characterised  by  the  word  greedy. 

Everyone  seems  to  be  afraid  he  will  miss  some¬ 
thing;  this  is  the  last  drink,  youth  is  fleeting,  oppor¬ 
tunity  will  not  knock  again.  We  behold  an  all  but 
universal  mad  rush  for  “happiness,”  with  little  care 
for  cost  or  consequences. 

To  a  student  of  human  nature,  it  is  always  inter¬ 
esting  to  see  how  the  same  premise  will  in  different 
minds  be  followed  by  opposite  conclusions.  Omar 
Khayyam  never  had  so  many  followers  as  now;  life 
is  short,  therefore  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we 
die.  But  there  are  other  men  who,  with  the  same 
prospect,  come  to  precisely  opposite  ways  of  con¬ 
duct.  Life  is  short,  therefore  do  as  much  good  as 
possible;  life  is  short,  therefore  do  as  much  perma¬ 
nent  work  as  possible,  for  to-morrow  we  die.  The 
night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 

The  gallant  knight,  Harry  Hotspur,  spoke  as 
follows : 


328  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


O  gentlemen,  the  time  of  life  is  short; 

To  spend  that  shortness  basely  were  too  long, 

If  life  did  ride  upon  a  dial’s  point, 

Still  ending  at  the  arrival  of  an  hour. 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  American  Hotspur,  in  a 
letter  to  Bellamy  Storer,  wrote : 

We  have  got  but  one  life  here,  and  what  comes  after  it  we 
cannot  with  certainty  tell;  but  it  pays,  no  matter  what  comes 
after  it,  to  try  and  do  things,  to  accomplish  things  in  this  life, 
and  not  merely  to  have  a  soft  and  pleasant  time. 

Psalm  CIV  is  a  swelling  chorus  of  praise  to  God, 
in  which  the  individual  voices,  earth  and  sky  and 
sea,  with  beasts  and  birds  and  fishes,  combine  in 
majestic  harmonies: 

O  Lord  my  God,  thou  art  very  great;  thou  art  clothed 
wTith  honour  and  majesty. 

Who  coverest  thyself  with  light  as  with  a  garment;  who 
stretchest  out  the  heavens  like  a  curtain: 

Who  layeth  the  beams  of  his  chambers  in  the  waters:  who 
maketh  the  clouds  his  chariot:  who  walketh  upon  the  wings 
of  the  wind.  ..... 

He  sendeth  the  springs  into  the  valleys,  which  run  among 
the  hills . 

By  them  shall  the  fowls  of  the  heaven  have  their  habitation, 
which  sing  among  the  branches . 

He  appointeth  the  moon  for  seasons:  the  sun  knoweth  his 
going  down. 

Thou  makest  darkness,  and  it  is  night:  wherein  all  the  beasts 
of  the  forest  do  creep  forth. 

The  young  lions  roar  after  their  prey,  and  seek  their  meat 
from  God. 

The  sun  ariseth,  they  gather  themselves  together,  and  lay 
them  down  in  their  dens. 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  329 

Man  goeth  forth  unto  his  work  and  to  his  labour  until  the 
evening. 

O  Lord,  how  manifold  are  thy  works;  in  wisdom  hast  thou 
made  them  all:  the  earth  is  full  of  Thy  riches. 

So  is  this  great  and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  things  creeping 
innumerable,  both  small  and  great  beasts. 

There  go  the  ships:  there  is  that  leviathan,  whom  thou  hast 
made  to  play  therein . 

The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  endure  for  ever:  the  Lord  shall 
rejoice  in  his  works. 

He  looketh  on  the  earth,  and  it  trembleth:  he  toucheth  the 
hills,  and  they  smoke. 

I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  as  long  as  I  live:  I  will  sing  praise 
to  my  God  while  I  have  my  being. 

My  meditation  of  him  shall  be  sweet:  I  will  be  glad  in 
the  Lord. 

In  every  man’s  heart  there  is  the  love  of  his  native 
land;  and  this  passion  is  never  so  strong  as  when 
he  is  in  a  far  country,  for  the  bonds  that  unite  him 
to  his  home  are  elastic,  pulling  harder  as  the  dis¬ 
tance  increases.  Nor  does  anyone  love  his  country 
so  much  as  when  it  has  been  defeated  in  war;  vic¬ 
torious  people  are  proud  of  their  nation,  and  of  their 
nation’s  flag;  but  their  pride  is  not  so  strong  as  the 
passionate  love  of  country  among  those  that  have 
been  overthrown  and  cast  down.  Imagine  yourself, 
if  you  can,  an  exile,  a  captive  in  a  strange,  hostile, 
and  powerful  land,  suddenly  seeing  your  own  coun¬ 
try’s  flag,  or  hearing  its  national  song.  Your  feel¬ 
ings  could  never  find  better  expression  than  in  the 
Psalm  CXXXVII : 


330  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


By  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  down,  yea,  we  wept, 
when  we  remembered  Zion. 

We  hanged  our  harps  upon  the  willows  in  the  midst  thereof. 

For  there  they  that  carried  us  away  captive  required  of  us  a 
song;  and  they  that  wasted  us  required  of  us  mirth,  saying, 
Sing  us  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion. 

How  shall  we  sing  the  Lord’s  song  in  a  strange  land? 

If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget  her 
cunning. 

If  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof 
of  my  mouth;  if  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy. 

The  true  mystic  believes  that  the  Divine  Presence 
is  all  about  him;  that  man’s  search  for  God  does 
not  compare  in  eager  intensity  with  God’s  search 
for  man.  For  there  are  those  who  seek  God  in  vain, 
when  all  that  is  needed  is  surrender.  Children  do 
not  go  out  looking  for  their  parents;  they  go  out 
sometimes  trying  vainly  to  escape  from  the  all- 
embracing,  searching  parental  love.  If  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  Jesus  Christ  on  earth  means  anything,  it 
means  that  the  love  of  God  is  pursuing  the  flying 
heart  of  man.  The  great  poet,  Francis  Thompson, 
expressed  this  fundamental  religious  idea  in  his 
extraordinary  masterpiece,  The  Hound  of  Heaven ; 
but  even  his  genius  does  not  compare  in  truth  and 
beauty  with  the  inspiration  and  language  of  the  one 
hundred  and  thirty-ninth  Psalm: 

O  Lord,  thou  hast  searched  me,  and  known  me. 

Thou  knowest  my  downsitting  and  mine  uprising,  thou  un- 
derstandest  my  thought  afar  off. 

Thou  compassest  my  path  and  my  lying  down,  and  art  ac¬ 
quainted  with  all  my  ways. 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  331 


For  there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue,  but,  lo,  O  Lord,  thou 
knowest  it  altogether. 

Thou  hast  beset  me  behind  and  before,  and  laid  thine  hand 
upon  me. 

Such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me;  it  is  high;  I  cannot 
attain  unto  it. 

Whither  shall  I  go  from  thy  spirit?  or  whither  shall  I  flee 
from  thy  presence? 

If  I  ascend  up  into  heaven,  thou  art  there:  if  I  make  my 
bed  in  hell,  behold,  thou  art  there. 

If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning,  and  dwell  in  the  utter¬ 
most  parts  of  the  sea; 

Even  there  shall  thy  hand  lead  me,  and  thy  right  hand  shall 
hold  me. 

In  the  book  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  we  find  not 
only  the  heights  of  poetry — both  sublimity  and  ten¬ 
derness — we  find  a  revelation  of  the  wickedness  of 
human  nature  and  the  only  remedy.  In  the  very 
first  chapter  there  is  a  hearty  condemnation  of  mere 
church-going,  formal  prayers,  hollow  ritualistic  ob¬ 
servances,  days  and  times  of  sacrifice;  what  is  needed 
is  regeneration,  a  new  heart.  It  is  an  interesting 
comment  on  human  nature  that  every  truly  great 
religious  teacher  has  found  it  necessary  to  attack 
the  leaders  of  formal  religion.  Everything  that  man 
touches  seems  sooner  or  later  to  become  debased, 
and  religion  is  no  exception;  instead  of  renewing 
ourselves  day  by  day,  our  worship  and  prayers  be¬ 
come  mechanical,  and  so,  instead  of  a  life-giving 
force  in  our  hearts,  we  carry  a  useless  burden. 

A  terrible  expression  is  used  here — the  Lord  is 
bored  by  our  worship  of  Him.  “They  are  a  trouble 


332  HUMAN  NATURE  IN  THE  BIBLE 


unto  me;  I  am  weary  to  bear  them.  And  when  ye 
spread  forth  your  hands,  I  will  hide  mine  eyes  from 
you.”  If  it  is  tiresome  to  hear  a  dull,  mechanical 
sermon  for  half  an  hour,  think  what  the  Divine 
patience  must  be  to  hear  all  the  prayers,  hymns,  and 
modes  of  worship  !  Apparently  sinners  do  not  begin 
to  exhaust  His  patience  so  much  as  monotonous  lip- 
service. 

Remember,  in  the  following  passage  Isaiah  is 
speaking  to  the  orthodox: 

Wash  you,  make  you  clean;  put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings 
from  before  mine  eyes;  cease  to  do  evil;  learn  to  do  well; 
seek  judgment,  relieve  the  oppressed,  judge  the  fatherless,  plead 
for  the  widow. 

Corruption  had  broken  out  in  high  places  and,  as 
sometimes  happens,  even  in  religious  organisations, 
the  camp-followers  had  come  to  the  front. 

Yet  through  all  this  fierce  condemnation  of  hy¬ 
pocrisy  and  apostasy,  there  is  in  the  book  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah  a  belief  in  ultimate  redemption; 
Israel  has  become  disgraced  and  trodden  down  by 
foreign  foes  because  of  her  own  wickedness  and 
cynicism;  but  she  will  be  purified  by  humiliation, 
and  out  of  these  very  people  will  come  a  Redeemer, 
not  only  for  the  Jews,  but  for  the  whole  world. 
Like  all  great  teachers  of  religion  and  morality,  he 
believes  that  the  soul  of  man  is  worth  saving,  and 
that  it  can  be  saved;  he  looks  forward,  as  so  many 
stout  hearts  have  done,  to  a  distant  age  of  universal 
peace  and  brotherly  love. 


HUMAN  NATURE  IN  POETRY  333 


It  is  inspiring  to  remember  that  there  has  never 
been  a  time  in  history  when  the  call  to  truth  and 
righteousness  was  not  heard;  man  cannot  really  live 
except  through  the  life  of  the  spirit.  The  spiritual 
is  as  much  a  part  of  human  nature  as  selfish  desires; 
and  the  eloquence  of  Isaiah  is  at  once  a  witness  to 
the  hunger  and  thirst  of  the  soul,  and  a  means  of 
satisfaction.  Man  cannot  live  by  bread  alone.  In 
a  world  so  full  of  intense  need,  the  most  important 
things  can  be  bought  without  money  and  without 
price. 

Our  Lord  did  not  hesitate  to  take  the  leadership 
of  humanity  prophesied  by  Isaiah;  He  read  to  the 
people  about  Him  the  words  of  the  prophet,  and 
then,  with  divine  audacity,  He  said,  in  thrilling 
tones,  To-day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears. 


Date  Due 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


1  1012  01235  6079 


